


Jace Wayland's Unstealthy Stalking

by shadowglove88



Series: The Mortal Vessel Series [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), Smallville, The Mortal Instruments (Movies), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: F/M, Jealous Jace, M/M, fabulous magnus, overwhelmed Alec, overwhelmed chloe, possessive Jace, snarky lois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-21 01:03:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 91,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9524498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowglove88/pseuds/shadowglove88
Summary: When Chloe stumbles into Jace Wayland and apologizes, she doesn't realize she's not supposed to be able to see him due to his invisibility rune. And then there are misunderstandings. This is the catalyst to some *seriously* unstealthy stalking from the blonde Shadowhunter, who is determined to make her acknowledge he's there and stop pretending she can't see him.





	1. The Stumble That Started It All

**Author's Note:**

> Set During City Of Bones. No Clary.

Magnus Bane.

It'd taken her _months_ to get something more than just that name and by _god_ the man better be some sort of living legend because she was going to be seriously disappointed otherwise! She didn't get what all the secrecy surrounding this guy was, but it was what had drawn her towards him in the first place, and why she'd put so much energy into finding out exactly where he was and when he was going to be throwing one of his next lavish and extremely mysterious parties. It wasn't going to be until a couple of nights, but that was fine, it gave her time to prepare considering she still didn't have one of the invitations she'd heard was necessary if she wanted to get into the house. That was no problem, she was working on it.

She'd also heard that there was some sort of dress-code when it came to Magnus Bane's parties, and she wasn't exactly used to hanging with that sort of crowd, which was why she was talking to her cousin on the phone and trying to get some pointers from her on how she was supposed to dress.

"Remind me again why you've been man-hunting this sketchy sounding dude?" Lois wanted to know, chomping on something loudly.

Chloe rolled her eyes and raised her voice as she neared Pandemonium Club, the all-ages club that always had a long line to it's entrance due to that very fact. Also Grandsville and Smallville and many other places near Metropolis had _very_ other few 'hip' (if somewhat _dark_ ) places that people of _any_ age could get into. " _Because_ , his name keeps popping up everyone I go? It's _everywhere_ and I want to know why!"

She could see three teenagers around her age exiting Pandemonium, chuckling amongst themselves, dressed up in dark clothes like everyone who went to the club did. There were two boys and a girl, the girl so gorgeous with her long black hair and charcoal eyes Lana would've gotten jealous if she could see her. The two guys weren't anything to scoff at either. The dark haired guy looked very similar to the girl except he had blue eyes. The other guy had a completely different coloring to the others, a very intriguing coloring, but giving the fact that most of the people who went to Pandemonium had bright blue hair and red contact lens on (or some weird artificial combination like that) his golden hair and matching golden eyes could very well not be real.

"Coincidence." Lois' voice in her ear brought her back to the present as Chloe neared the joyous trio. "Or he could be a very gutsy prostitute really into advertising."

Chloe snorted loudly. "I doubt he's a prostitute."

The two dark haired teens ignored her as they moved a little in front and the blonde male fell behind as he pulled out something from his pocket and examined it.

"I don't know. With weed getting legalized everywhere that could be the next thing coming. Mark my words." The teasing in Lois' tone was strong.

Chloe covered her eyes with her hand and snorted in laughter. "You're incorrigible!" And it was because she'd covered her eyes that she didn't notice the pebble until she tripped on it and stumbled into the blonde male's startled arms. She stared up at him in shock, and yet he seemed more surprised than she did. Then again, she _had_ just attacked him out of the blue. "Sorry." Her voice was choked as she gave him a trembling smile. "I don't usually throw myself at guys like that."

He stared at her in shock. "I tend to have that affect on women."

She snorted again. "Good to know it wasn't just me being clumsy then, half of it was apparently your fault." She looked behind her, to where his friends were talking, the two brunettes not having seen anything that'd happened. "You better catch up with them before they leave you behind all-together."

His eyes went to his friends and his eyes widened further. He then looked down at his tattooed arm, as if making sure that the tattoos were still there. He then looked up at her. "But… you're a _mundie_."

Huh?

"A Chloe, actually." Hearing Lois' voice somehow, she gave him a little smile and a wave before she moved on and brought her phone to her ear. "Sorry about that. I accidentally tripped and fell on top of a total stranger. _Talk_ about embarrassing."

"Was he cute?" Of course _that_ would be Lois' only concern.

"Who says it was a guy?" Chloe hedged as she walked on, putting the guy and the incident out of her head as she continued on passed the line that was waiting to enter Pandemonium. She eyed the sign in front thoughtfully before she crossed the street. "You know what we should do? Just to break the routine?"

"If you start the next sentence with something to do with Clark I'll hurt you."

Chloe rolled her eyes at her cousin, who was just seriously overprotective sometimes. "We should totally do Pandemonium. Make a girl's night out of it."

There was a pause. "Are you serious?"

"Why not?" Chloe wanted to know as she started a brisk pace.

"Well, I mean, _I've_ gone, but you've never shown any interest in going there before."

Chloe sent the nightclub a backwards glance. Oh, the interest had always been there, like a siren's call, but she'd always also had this knot in her stomach, as if she feared that going in there might change something fundamental about her. But if she wanted to get an invitation to Magnus Bane's party she heard that that was the place to be, so she was going to have to put her silly little fears behind her and go where the edgy kids hung out. "Nah. Let's do it."

"Okay. Sounds great." Lois was peppy immediately. "When?"

"Tomorrow?" Chloe finally made it to her car when she felt like maybe she wasn't alone, but she cast her gaze around the parking lot and couldn't see anyone around. "Yeah. We should definitely come and club at Pandemonium tomorrow night. Dress up and everything. It'll be good practice for me for the _real_ party methinks."

"Methinks." Lois bemoaned. "No one says that!"

"I do!" Chloe, feeling somewhat paranoid, gazed in the back of the car as she threw the books she'd gotten from the bookstore she and Lois frequented due to the handsome owner onto the backseat before she slid inside and locked the door. She gave the dark parking lot another look as she started the engine and drove away.

After she left, a lone blonde male emerged from the darkness and stared after her, eyes narrowed.

-X-X-X-X-X-

**The Next Night**

"You know, when you said you'd been to Pandemonium before, I hadn't realized you had a whole section to your closet dedicated to it." Chloe stepped out of her cousin's car and tried to pretend that she didn't feel like she was a kid playing dress up in her mom's clothes. Considering that it was really short notice she'd had to go to Lois for help in the clothes and makeup and accessories department, and considering that while she was curvy she wasn't _half_ as curvaceous (or tall) as her cousin, well, finding something that would fit her had been a chore. In the end she'd ended up wearing one of Lois' _shirts_ as a dress. One of her _shirts_. It was horrifying. But Lois had been right, the shirt (which reached Chloe's mid-thigh) was longer than _a lot_ of the skirts and dresses and shorts she was seeing the women around here wearing, so she felt a little better. _A little_.

"There's not a lot to do in Metropolis." Lois shrugged as she joined the line and gave the bouncer a wave.

He waved back. It wasn't even one of the masculine waves. It was what Chloe liked to call a finger-wiggle wave.

Oh boy. Lois had another huge, scary dude with a crush on her.

The bouncer motioned Lois out of the line and to the front. "You know you don't wait, beautiful."

She grinned. "Hannibal, you sweetie!" Lois turned to Chloe, who felt so tiny next to her bosom and tall cousin. "This is the cousin I've told you so much about."

Chloe blinked. Why had there been conversations about her?

Hannibal smiled toothily at her. "Chloe, right? I'm Hannibal. Nice to meet you. Any cousin of Lois is welcome here."

Chloe smiled back at him. "Uh, thanks." She pointed up to the Pandemonium Club sign. "What does the symbol mean, by the way?"

Hannibal blinked and looked up. "What symbol?"

Lois looked up too, confused. "I don't see a symbol."

Chloe could see it as bright as day, shining behind the "Pandemonium Club". She'd always noticed it and had figured it was the club's logo or something. "Sorry, must be a trick of the light then."

Lois sent her an odd look, shook her head, and then smiled at Hannibal. "Thanks again hon." And with that she pulled Chloe into the noisy club, already moving to the beat, a grin on her face. "Isn't this awesome?"

Chloe looked around at the dark atmosphere, people dressed up like it was halloween, with dark clothes, some with contacts, some seriously going all out and looking like what most people would call, well, she didn't want to say "freaks" but they definitely stood out. The blonde smiled at her cousin and nodded. "Yeah."

"You start dancing!" Lois pointed her finger to Chloe in an order. "I'm going to get us some drinks!"

Chloe wondered exactly what sort of drinks they served here, but giving the fact that this place was an all-ages club… She shook her head, it was things like this that kept her from having fun. She forced herself to relax. If she was going to infiltrate Magnus Bane's party she wasn't going to be able to stand there and examine everything and everyone the way she was now. She'd stand out like such a sore thumb. That was why she was here now. She needed practice. Needed to blend in and learn how to have fun and yet keep a watchful eye at the same time. She also needed to look like part enough to get invited to the party to begin with.

The blonde felt a little stupid and a lot self conscious but she let herself begin to sway to the music. She closed her eyes against the feeling that there were eyes on her because in this mess of bodies there was no way that anyone could see her, could make her out, it was all her insecurities rising to the surface. She was just one face in hundreds. She was anonymous. The thought made her smile and she got into it as she began to seriously dance.

"Chloe!" Lois' voice yelled from somewhere.

The blonde's eyes flew open to see her cousin returning, two guys on her heels.

Trust the brunette to not be able to go get drinks without being hounded by guys.

Chloe wondered what it was like to be so beautiful like that. She'd never had anything like that when it came to guys. She'd never had something that drew guys to her like a moth to a flame. She'd seen it enough times with Lois and Lana though for her to know that it happened-to know that there were some girls out there that had a certain _something_ that made them irresistible to men.

"Chloe!" Lois was grinning so brightly it made Chloe grin in response on instinct. "I want you to meet some friends of mine: Derek Fox and Wade Mahaney."

The blonde shook their hands. Derek and Wade both had tattoos, but not like the ones that the guy from last night did. "Wade, didn't you both used to go to Smallville High?"

He eyed her in surprise. " _Long_ time ago. I'm surprised you know that. I take it you go there?"

"Yeah, and it's hard not to know of you guys-but especially you." She tried for some charm. "You were something of a legend back in your day." She was here to have fun, right? What could a little meaningless flirting do, especially if it go her an interview for the Torch? "I might have to get your autograph before you leave… And maybe an interview for the Torch if I'm lucky?"

He grinned brightly and turned to Derek. "I want this one. I'm taking her."

Chloe blinked. She wasn't exactly something to be 'taken', but she was almost completely sure she'd assured herself that interview so she kept herself from responding negatively to that comment and merely smiled at him.

Derek chuckled, hands up in submission. "Who am I to get in the way of a journalist and a local sports hero?"

"Exactly," Lois placed her hand on his shoulder. "Who exactly _are_ you?"

Derek snorted at her. "You know, I wasn't too bad at sports myself. I was something of a sport's legend too."

"Not like me though," Wade reminded him.

Derek rolled his eyes.

Okay, Wade was starting to get on Chloe's nerves, and it was beginning to get harder to keep that smile on her face-interview or not.

Lois must've noticed her cousin's annoyance because she cleared her throat. "Enough talking! Let's dance!" And with that she passed Chloe her drink, grabbed the blonde's free arm, and dragged her deeper onto the dance floor.

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The lights danced off of her body like exploding moonbeams, the girl's small body pale, ethereal and almost glowing as she twisted to the music. By every right she should be lost amongst the other mundies, but with her eyes closed and a small smile on her face as she seemed to _feel_ the music and just moved to each rhythm and beat, she easily stood apart to each and every mundie out there-and there were _a lot_ of them.

"Why are we here again?" Alec wanted to know, arms folded over his chest as he eyed the dance floor. "We dealt with the lower-level demon last night with no incident. There's no reason to believe that there'll be a repeat incident tonight."

"It should actually be pretty calm all things considering." Isabelle was eyeing the men around the room as if they were meat. "Maybe we could call it a night and just enjoy it? For once?"

Alec sent his sister a look.

She ignored him.

Alec turned that look on _him_.

But he hadn't been listening to them, instead he watched as the mundie she'd been dancing six straight dances with put his hands all over her. Her face contorted for a second, it was obvious that she wasn't exactly comfortable with what was going on, but she didn't do anything about it. In fact, she merely tried to laugh it off and seemed to be forcing herself to accept the handsy attentions of the guy she'd met up with. Her observer didn't get it. If she didn't want that guy's hands on her hips, pulling her against his front like that as they danced, then she should just come out and say something about it instead of just staying quiet like that. Why the hell would she just stay quiet throughout it all?

For the sixth consecutive time that night, Jace Wayland had to keep himself from going to the dancefloor and knocking the guy away from her, and the realization seriously bugged him.

He didn't know this mundie girl. He had no reason for _caring_ about whether she'd just pushed away that hand as it'd begun trailing up her stomach inappropriately. The only reason Jace was there was because she had seen him last night while his invisibility runes had been active. Alec and Isabelle hadn't seen it and he hadn't wanted to just tell them, a part of him wanted to _show_ it to them, for there to be _proof_ that he wasn't insane, that this mundie girl could see through the runes.

Jace's hands clenched at his sides as both of those guy's hands slipped up under her shirt and began to move upwards.

Finally she pushed away, muttered something, and stormed through the crowd towards somewhere.

Jace watched her go and instinctively began to follow.

"Where are you going?" Alec called from behind him.

He ignored him and pushed through the crowd of dancers who wouldn't see him, his movements graceful as he kept her in his sight at all time, as something deep inside of him dictated. He didn't understand why he was keeping at a distance, why he was merely watching over her when the idea was to prove that she could _see_ him. The way to do so would be by actually _approaching_ her.

The girl ducked into the female bathroom.

This was it.

He moved to lean against the wall opposite the door, the sole of his boot resting against the wall, his gaze dead ahead.

Alec appeared eyes narrowed. "What the hell man?"

Even Isabelle seemed reluctantly intrigued. "What's going on, Jace? Did you just follow that girl to the bathroom? Because, if you really need to go, I'll tell you from now, the line is always longer in the girl's bathroom."

He ignored her snark. "She can see us."

Alec frowned. "No she can't.

"She saw me, last night." Jace didn't look at either of them. "We had our invisibility runes on and she saw us. She tripped and fell onto me, then she talked to me, talked about you two, and then continued talking on the phone as she left as if it was no big deal."

Alec and Isabelle shared looks.

Isabelle blinked. "But she's a _mundie_."

"Mundies can't-." Alec began.

"She can." Jace was sure of it. "And when she gets out of that bathroom I'm going to prove it."

"No mundie can see us, Jace." Alec narrowed his eyes at him. " _None_. If Hodge found out that one could-let's just say that him not being happy would be an _understatement_."

"I know." Jace announced calmly. "I'll deal with this."

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Chloe hesitated on the other side of the bathroom door, the girl only having gone to get away from Wade and his damn hands. Her heart raced in horror as the words of the three people waiting for her outside made her tremble. Invisibility runes? She wasn't _supposed_ to see them? They were going to "deal" with her? What was this? The _mafia?_

She gulped, tiptoed to the bathroom stall and flushed the toilet to give the pretense that she'd been using the toilet. The blonde then went to the sink and was washing her hands when the door opened. She looked up, saw the three of them enter the bathroom, and gulped down her terror as she forced her expression into confusion.

"That's weird." Shrugging, the blonde turned her back on them and decided her best way out of this was a bluff. She continued washing her hands, able to see the reflections of the others moving through the corner of her eyes but she paid no mind.

The girl came to her side and did a weird little gesture that didn't seem rude but would've caught her attention if she hadn't been actively ignoring her.

The dark haired guy waved his hand in front of Chloe's face.

Chloe finished washing her hands and looked around her, going to get some toilet paper to wipe her hands dry, purposely bending in such a way so that what she was wearing would ride high up the back of her thighs. A choked sound came from one of the guys and she reacted as she felt someone would've if they'd heard that while they thought they were alone. She straightened immediately and looked around. "Hello?"

The dark haired guy hit the blonde guy on his chest.

She looked around and then shook her head as she returned to the sink, making sure to do so in a way that would force them to move so she wouldn't walk into them. The blonde eyed her hair and frowned as she began to flick it back and forth.

The door opened and Lois stumbled in, laughter in her voice. "So _here_ you are. _Primping_."

For a moment Chloe felt panic, but then she realized that _Lois couldn't see the trio_. She forced a smile on her face and hoped her moment's panic had seemed in reaction to the question and not the situation. "I am not primping!"

"What's with the flicking of your hair then? Huh?" Lois grinned as she went to one of the stalls and closed it, the sound of peeing soon heard. "I'm relieved. For a moment there I thought you didn't like him."

Chloe _so_ didn't want to talk about this with these people listening in! "He seems okay enough." She turned to lean with her back against the sink and faced the stall Lois was in, faced the blonde guy as she made a face. "Why do I have a feeling him and Derek being here wasn't coincidental?"

The blonde male narrowed his eyes at her.

"Okay, okay, _maybe_ I told them I was going to be here tonight with my cute cousin." Lois was still peeing. How much pee did she have in her? "Sue me! You need to have a good time! And get laid!"

The blonde male began to move towards Chloe like a predator.

"Isn't he-I don't know-kinda _old_?" Chloe chanced the question as she kept her gaze on the stall and not on him as he reached her and leaned in, his hands on the sink on either side of her, trapping her.

Damn it! He was suspecting that she could see them! He was putting her through a test! And she needed to pass it! No matter what!

"He's not _old_! He's only a year or two older than I am." Lois laughed as the toilet flushed and the door opened. "And you need to get over your 'one true dweeb'."

Oh, this was _so_ not the conversation Chloe wanted to have now!

The blonde male moved so that his face so close to Chloe's he blocked her view of anything else, his eyes staring deeply into hers as if trying to stare into her soul, his mouth so close it was almost as if they were sharing the same breath.

The dark haired male made a little noise.

Lois blinked as she washed her hands. "Did you hear something?"

Chloe nodded. "Yeah. Maybe this place is haunted."

Lois made a face. "Oh no. Not another haunting."

Chloe laughed. "Don't take it so personally."

"One can only get possessed so many times before one starts thinking the dead are out to get them." Lois shivered as she reached out for Chloe and unknowingly forced the blonde guy away from her cousin. "Come on. Let's go before we wake up somewhere with no memory of how we got there or why we're dressed skankily."

"Skankier than we are already?" Chloe wanted to know.

"Shut up." Lois grinned brightly. "These clothes are not skanky."

"You have me wearing your shirt! And _only_ your shirt! You didn't even let me use shorts under it!" Chloe was all sorts of relieved as Lois pulled her out of the bathroom. Hopefully, those were the last words that trio would ever hear from her ever again.

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"Maybe you were imagining things, or maybe it was because when she fell into you, somehow, the runes allowed her to see you for a split second to explain why she wasn't hitting the ground or something. Or your runes could've been weakening by that time, wearing off already. I don't know, but I know that mundie isn't special." Isabelle was the first to break the silence. "She did _not_ see us just now. Neither of them did."

"Let's just get out of here already." Alec sounded terse, unhappy as he turned and stormed out of the bathroom.

Isabelle sighed as she watched her brother and then hurried after him.

Jace stayed where he was, one question burned into his skull.

Was that mundane _truly_ only wearing a _shirt_?

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Despite how late it was when Chloe made it home her father was still at work, which was great because she was sure he would've noticed that she was only wearing a shirt. Her father was hardly ever around, but whenever he was, that man sure had an eye for detail and she could hardly get one passed him. It was why his lifestyle suited her perfectly. She loved the man, adored him, truly she did, but his absences had cultivated a need within her to fill her life with other things-other pastimes-at first as a means to not be so lonely-and then she'd found her passion and she'd loved the man for it. He hadn't stifled her despite everything, and it was her true independence that had made her the way she was today. She owed it to him and his parenting. How she saw it, she had _way_ more freedom than most teenagers she knew, and she relished it.

Sure, the man could get overprotective sometimes, but what father of a teenaged daughter didn't? It was almost always over boys of course, not that she got _why_ , it wasn't like she had them knocking down her door or anything, but she father was sure one day they'd realize she was like "the parable pearl" and the "parable of the hidden treasure". She found that endearing, and a little surprising considering the bible references and the fact that her father and her weren't religious. She'd actually had to google both parables to figure out what the heck he'd been talking out, and once she had she'd hugged and kissed the man the next time she'd seen him and when he'd asked what he'd done to deserved it she'd merely given him a smile.

**" _B-A-N-E, M-A-G-N-U-S" -Batman_**

Chloe tried deleting all reference to the Batman villain in her boolean search because he kept coming up no matter how hard she tried to get rid of him.

But nothing, just like aways, there was no information on Magnus Bane, and it was killing her.

How was it that she was finding flyers for parties, stickers with his names on coffee cups at cafes, hearing his name on the radio requesting for certain songs, so forth and so on, if the guy was so off-grid like this? How could he be everywhere-and yet no where at the same time? How could there be _no_ information on him? It was _killing_ her!

…just like her head.

Popping another pain killer, Chloe turned off the lights and went to bed, resigned.

Invisible trios (she wasn't even going to _try_ and think about that one tonight) and the ever elusive Magnus Bane… who was being the _bane_ of her existence.

At least she didn't have to worry about those rune guys anymore.

On that train of thought, she fell asleep.

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So this was where she lived, and according to the driver's license in his hand her name was Chloe Sullivan.

Jace eyed her room thoughtfully.

He'd _known_ it was a good idea to follow his gut, to follow _her_ , and here was proof. She was researching Magnus Bane. That was a connection to the Shadow World if any. How did she know about the High Warlock? What did she want with him?

Jace's gaze went to the blonde, who'd faked her way brilliantly enough in the bathroom to fool Alec and Isabelle. "Who exactly are you, mundie?"

She whimpered in her sleep and turned towards him.

Something clenched in his stomach and he licked his lips as he knelt by the edge of her bed, gaze on her face.

She was obviously playing some sort of game here, something big if it involved the High Warlock of Metropolis, and Jace was just going to have to figure out what it was.


	2. A Day In The Stalking Of Chloe Sullivan

She'd been a fool to think that her acting abilities were that incredible.

Well, at least she hadn't seen the two brunettes since the bathroom incident, but ever since then the blonde male had been trailing Chloe's every step and it'd taken everything she had not to react to it. At first he'd at least _tried_ to be _somewhat_ stealthy in his stalking (even if she'd figured out that he was there and still ignored him) but by Day 2 Post Pandemonium (as she was referring to it in her head since "Day 2 PP" sounded _wrong_ ) the blonde dude wasn't even trying to hide his presence anymore. In fact, he was _so_ in her face about it he either truly believed she didn't see him, or he was purposely trying to provoke some sort of reaction out of her, trying to bully her into admitting that she could see him, and given his attitude she had a feeling it was the latter and not the former.

That just made her want to fight him harder and prove to him that _no_ , she _couldn't_ see him… even though, uh, _yes_ , she _could_.

Chloe had taken up a vain habit of fixing her hair or checking her makeup in shop windows and any reflective surface lately so she could keep an eye on blonde!stalker!dude (one of the many names she had for him). It had been a lot easier to keep an eye on him this way at the beginning of the stalking when he'd stayed behind in the background, but now he'd grown bolder and was next to her, watching her silently, and she had to find a way to relax her eyes and spy on him without actually eyeing him visibly in the reflection. It was annoying because she wanted to know just how she could be such a threat to whatever... club... he was a part of for someone to have ordered him to keep such a close eye on her just in case he was right and she _could_ see him. Because she was definitely beginning to fear that she hadn't convinced the brunettes that she couldn't see them-maybe they were busy doing other things and since he was the one who'd noticed Chloe's ability their boss had assigned _him_ to her.

When she thought of what the "boss" of invisible rune guys might look like, she couldn't help but imagine the Godfather in a dark room with cigar smoke swirling all around him.

_That's it, no more mafia-inspired marathon movies for you, at least until this whole situation is sorted out!_

Something made her pause, look up at the sky, and her eyes widened when she saw _**MAGNUS BANE**_ written in the clouds.

_Yep, until this_ _**whole** _ _situation is sorted out!_

Chloe shook her head and pressed forwards as she continued on, seeing her destination ahead of her.

Biblio Sanctum.

Pushing back everything wrong in her life right now, a smile touched her face and this time when she stopped by the shop before Biblio Sanctum and checked her hair and clothes and makeup this time she didn't even cast her silent companion one glance before she cleared her throat. She took in a deep breath, let _out_ a deep breath, and then smiled as she hurried to the door (not _too_ hurriedly because he'd suspect something was wrong) and opened it. The bell rang over her as she moved inside and gazed around her, the smell of books greeting her like home.

She loved this store, it really _was_ a book holy place or sanctuary, like the name suggested. Then again, she'd basically grown up in here, it was her only refuge as a child, and it was still her only home sometimes, especially whenever her father was too busy with his own life. Somehow, the owner of this amazing place was never too busy, and she'd always appreciated that-something she could only show by buying as many books as her allowance would allow her to.

At the far end of the room, a backdoor opened and the owner, Luke Garroway entered, a smile lighting his handsome face when he recognized her. "How's one half of my two favorite customers doing today?"

"Depends, do you have it?" She raised an eyebrow with a cheeky grin as she moved straight down the long stacks of books towards him to lean forwards on the counter. "Because my answer depends completely on yours."

He chuckled as he reached under the counter and pulled out a wrapped bundle. "Now, when have I ever let you or Lois down?"

"I can't believe you found it so quickly! I came here with every intention of mocking you for your surety the other day that you would have it by today!" Chloe unwrapped the brown paper to reveal the very rare and hard-to-find book she'd been looking for. "Luke, you're a miracle worker, you realize that, right?"

He shook his head, hand to his heart. "I'm no such thing, only a humble man who owns a humble bookstore."

She rolled her eyes. "You're a rock star, I tell you. A _rock star_."

"Please, if it wasn't for you and Lois recommending this place to everyone you know I probably would've run out of business by now."

Chloe raised an eyebrow at the ultra handsome man and scoffed. Women would be coming around to buy his books if not only to be able to gaze at the man. "Give yourself credit when it's deserved, and it is."

He cleared his throat and fixed her with a look. "So, what's new in your life? Dating anyone in particular you want to tell me about? Older? Tattooed maybe?"

She was surprised at the question. Luke usually was that older brother figure who didn't seem to realize she was a girl and would one day grow up and date, so this out-of-the-blue question fazed her, especially given all the details. And then it _clicked_ and her eyes widened. "You've been talking to Lois behind my back again!"

"She might've come by the other day and mentioned she was trying to hook you up with someone who she thought might be your type that she'd met recently." His gaze went to the back of the store, eyes narrowed before he returned his gaze to Chloe and he gave her a small smile. "While I'm all about you having fun and spending your teenaged years actually _being a teenager,_ I think you need to be careful with some guys. They might not be what they appear to be at first glance."

Had _he_ hit that on the nail _or what_?

She nodded and smiled crookedly at Luke. This was why she liked him so much and wished that he'd be one of the guys who fell for Lois' many bodacious charms so Chloe could have the excuse to hang out with him on a more familiar basis and get to know him better. Sure, he was a bit older than them, but he was cute, dependable, and had his own business. Plus, there was definite flirtage from Lois' side whenever she was around, and Chloe could _see_ that Luke was interested, but unlike every other guy, he held back and never made a move on Lois.

Chloe really wished he would. She knew Lois did as well, even if the brunette denied it with every fibre of her being and swore that she was only being flirty with him because it was in her nature.

"You know that I'm not your father or uncle or anything, not even an older brother, but if you have any problems you can come to me, right?" Luke's voice broke into Chloe's thoughts.

She looked up at his surprisingly _very_ worried face, and she grinned brightly. "Of course. And even if we're not related, I've been coming to your store for as long as I can remember, and Lois started tagging along since she moved to Metropolis. You're basically the big brother I've always yearned for and felt I was denied."

Luke smiled tenderly at her and reached over to rub the top of her head. "Don't make an old man like me cry now."

"Old man? Really? Has reading all these books non-stop all day made you go _blind?"_

He eyed her, a small frown on his face. "You look _so much_ like her it's uncanny."

Chloe blinked at that, surprised considering she really didn't think she looked like her mother at all. There was the fact that she was blonde, her skin color was different, and she had green eyes whereas Moira had blue eyes.

Luke continued to stare at Chloe as if caught in a memory, for a moment he almost looked in pain, before he cleared his throat and pulled his hand away. "How's Gabe doing? I haven't seen him around lately."

"I haven't either." Chloe probably saw Luke more than she saw her own father. Then again, she hung out at Luke's workplace so she figured that that was unfair of her to even have thought, if for a second. Plus, she liked the freedom, the independence her father's ever-frequent absences gave her. She liked that. She did. "He's started seriously dating someone and if he gets remarried and moves to live with her, I have my fingers crossed that I'll get to keep our house."

Luke rolled his eyes, always having told her that from the time she'd learnt to talk she tended to be overly dramatic. "Who is the lucky lady?"

"Nell Potter."

He'd listened to her stories enough throughout the years to know the names of the people she hung out with and the other people in their lives, and he apparently recognized the name, his eyes widening. "Isn't she the aunt of-?"

"My arch nemesis? Lana "Perfection" Lang?" Chloe raised an eyebrow as she nodded. "Dad doesn't seem to realize that, but yes, thank you for remembering."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Arch nemesis is such a _strong_ term considering you're the only one who considers your relationship that way. She seems to think you're friends." He ignored the look Chloe gave him at the 'f' word. "How do you feel about the fact that he's actually dating?"

"I haven't been affected by it, if that's what you're asking. No awkward 'family' get-togethers yet." She made a face. "Lana talked to me about it, she's definitely excited about the prospect of them marrying and us becoming ' _sisters'_."

Luke bit the inside of his lip. "You're not as excited, I take it."

She shrugged. "Never wanted a sister."

He eyed her thoughtfully. "Some things just weren't meant to be."

"I know. Mom went and split on us right when she and dad were going to try for a baby brother." Chloe pursed her lips and turned to eye some books on the counter. "I wonder sometimes if she and that guy had any kids, if I have any half siblings out there."

The phone rang in the back room.

Luke made a face. "I gotta get that."

Chloe waved him off. "It's not like I'm going to run off without paying before you get back."

He motioned with two fingers to his eyes and then to her, his smile teasing as he went to the back and left the door open between the store and the backroom.

Chloe turned around and leaned back with her elbows against the counter, her foot leaned against the counter, her eyes on the plate glass front of the bookstore watching the people outside walking passed. Or, well, that was what she was pretending to do. She was actually taking the opportunity to see what exactly her stalker was doing considering he'd been unusually distant and quiet throughout the whole conversation.

There he was, leaning against the far side of the room, his arms folded over his chest, a foot leaned back against the wall, his expression dark as he watched her.

They were almost mirroring each other except she was leaning back with her elbows and he had his arms folded over his chest.

Blondie McStalker pushed away from the wall and moved towards her, holding his hands out to his sides and trailing his fingertips against the spines of the books on the aisles on either side of him as he drew nearer.

Chloe gazed down at her nails and made a face, feigning boredom despite the fact that she felt like a lonely gazelle that a lion was stalking, cornering.

"Sorry about that!" Luke called from the back.

Chloe swung around and smiled at Luke as he came back, confused when she saw Luke hesitate at the door for a second before he cleared his throat and came through into the store once more. She raised an eyebrow at him as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her money as she leaned with her stomach against the counter. "This should cover it, right?"

Luke nodded.

Two hands came down on the counter on either side of her, those tattoo-covered arms visible and his heat all around her as he leaned in closely from behind.

Chloe fought not to react as she kept the money held out to Luke expectantly.

Just what was her stalker doing?

He was too close and he didn't know when or in what direction she would move next!

This was a risky play of his!

Luke took the money and rung up the order. "I know you're a big girl, Chloe, far be it for me to try and tell you how to live your life." He passed her her change. "Just… try reigning in Lois and learn to tell her _no_ once in a while."

This was an interesting change of subject. Chloe tilted her head, not exactly sure what he was getting at. "One day, maybe."

Luke merely gave her a brotherly look of disapproval.

A dark chuckle escaped her stalker as he leaned in closer to her, his gaze on Luke.

A shiver of shocking pleasure raced down her spine at that sound, and to give herself something to do, Chloe pocketed the change and missed the way Luke's expression went from brotherly disapproval to fatherly disapproval in two seconds flat. She smiled up at Luke and by the time she turned to leave McStalker Stalkerson had moved and was leaning on the side of the counter next to her, out of her way. "Thanks again for this, but I've got some plans tonight so I'll be seeing you later." She called over her shoulder as she walked away, able to feel her stalker following her languidly.

"Be careful, Chloe." Luke called behind her.

She lifted her hand and gave a backwards wave as she reached the door and pulled it open. "Where's the fun in that?"

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"Sorry I'm late!"

Jace raised an eyebrow as he saw who it was that they'd been waiting on for the past twenty minutes outside the cinema theatre.

 _Aw, look who it is. The bumbling mundie mountain_. His lips pulled in a sneer as he eyed the male he'd only seen with Chloe once or twice since he'd assigned himself to her.

Chloe's face lit up when she saw him and she pushed away from the wall they'd both been leaning against, gazing through the book she'd gotten from the store of the guy who could see him, so he was either someone with Shadowhunter blood in him, or a Downworlder. Jace just really didn't care to figure out which right now.

Chloe smiled up at the mundie. "It's no problem, I only just arrived myself."

Jace scoffed at the blatant lie right there.

Isabelle wouldn't have been that nice.

"Oh, that's good!" Relief was obvious on the mundane boy's face as he hurried to the door and pulled it open. "Have you figured out what we're gonna watch while you're been here?"

Chloe eyed the posters as if she hadn't looked at them countless times since they'd been waiting for the mundie boy to arrive. "The Bloody Sword looks good."

Jace didn't really watch movies, had never been inside of a cinema other than to hunt a demon, and yet he had to admit that that had been the poster that'd caught his attention the most as well, and he was shocked because he was sure that girls were supposed to go for romance. It was supposed to be a rule, wasn't it? He sidled the blonde girl with an appreciative glance, his lips curling in a crooked smile.

The mundie boy didn't seem half as appreciative, instead he sent the poster a look, turned a little pale and cleared his throat. "What about Safe In Your Arms?"

Jace scoffed. Really? The _guy_ was gonna pick the romance movie?

Chloe eyed the poster of the heroine being swept into the hero's arms, a look of adoration in the heroine's face towards the stalwart hero. The blonde girl didn't look impressed. She motioned towards an action flick poster. "I counter offer with Kick To The Face."

Jace's lips twitched, that would've been his _second_ choice.

The mundane boy eyed the poster. "Pete made me watch that with him already." He eyed the posters before pointing to a fantasy poster. "How about a compromise with Umbra?"

Chloe nodded and held out her hand. "I'll accept that compromise."

The boy grinned and shook her hand. "We have an accord."

"Dweeb." She snorted as she pulled her hand from his and yanked the door open.

Clark grinned and followed behind her.

Jace frowned as he slipped in before the door could close shut, his hands in his pockets. He trailed behind the two as they conversed, getting popcorn and drinks, and Jace felt a little lost and very out of place but he stuck there nonetheless because this was a recon mission and he was going to stick through this. It was the _only_ reason why he sat in the back of the near empty, dark theatre room and observed the two teenagers as they watched the movie. To be honest he didn't know what happened in the movie or what it was even about (he figured something about darkness or shadows since _Umbra_ was latin for shadow), his gaze was on the two below and barely left them. The only time his golden gaze left those two was to look at the others in the theatre. The other couples were making out and not at all paying attention and commenting softly to each other like those two were.

Jace was bored as hell and was somewhat wishing a demon would tear through the screen to give him something to do while he was here.

Halfway through the movie the boy got a text, apologized to the girl, and got up, hurrying out of the room.

The girl watched him go, sighed and looked up at the ceiling before she slumped in her chair.

Jace watched the guy go with a raised eyebrow. Was the mundie mountain not coming back? Because that was the signal he was giving off with his apologetic behavior and ashamed and self-annoyed face.

Usually unrequited emotions amused Jace, but as he stared at the girl slouched on the chair a couple of rows in front of him he couldn't feel an ounce of amusement for the situation at all. In fact, he was annoyed as hell.

The Shadowhunter found himself standing and going to the aisle she sat on, to the seat the mundie mountain had vacated, and pushed down the seat he'd just left, plopping himself down on it as he sprawled out with his legs up on the chair in front of him and his arms folded behind his head. For the first time since he'd entered the room his gaze actually rested on the screen and he wondered, only halfway curiously, who the protagonist was out of all of the characters on the screen.

A text arrived on Chloe's phone from the mundie mountain apologizing over and over and over again saying it was an emergency and promising that he'd make it up to her.

Something inside Jace felt vicious satisfaction when Chloe merely eyed the text before putting the phone back in her bag and getting comfortable in the seat next to his, gaze on the screen. The Shadowhunter had to keep himself from asking her a couple of times just what the hell they were watching and what was going on because he'd ignored the movie to such an extent for the first half of it that he was completely lost. But it didn't matter, he really didn't watch movies, Shadowhunters had more important things to do with their time, and this was just a way to, well…

Jace's golden gaze slid off of the large screen and onto Chloe, watching the light and shadows of the screen reflecting on her face as she stared, wide-eyed and fascinated, at whatever was happening on it right now. He uncurled his hands from behind his head and rested them on the armrests yet left his feet up on the chair in front of him, the golden-haired youth wondering, considering she found this fiction so interesting, what she'd think if she ever heard about the truth of what he did. Would she stare at _him_ with such open-eyed wonder?

Chloe jumped and her hand moved instinctively on top of his, squeezing it for reassurance as she gazed at the screen, still engrossed in whatever was going on.

Jace lost the battle to try and really give a damn about the movie, his gaze on the blonde at his side.

In the end he never did figure out what Umbra was about.

For the rest of the movie, he merely watched _her_.

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_I am_ _**not** _ _mad at you. But I_ _**will** _ _be if you don't stop texting me and apologizing! You had an emergency, I can understand that._

Chloe rolled her eyes and hit 'send' before she threw her phone on the bed and eyed her companion, who was lying on the ground, staring at the ceiling, and looking all sorts of bored. Even though she'd known that she was the only one who could see him, his presence was the only thing that'd kept her from feeling like a total loser when Clark had ended up ditching her for yet another mysterious emergency. For once she hadn't actually felt left out or curious or even wondered about what in the world was going on in Clark's life. No. She'd spent half of the movie thinking it was surprisingly good, and the other half thinking it was so weird to be watching a fantasy movie with her fantasy stalker-who was probably far more interesting than the characters in the movie-none of _them_ could make themselves invisible!

She wondered what exactly it was that he was. Was he human? If so, was he some sort of meteor freak? But she doubted it. He seemed different somehow. Sure, he was intense, but he didn't have that meteor craziness that every meteor freak she'd met had. So that made her wonder what else he was and what else there was out there other than meteor freak. And was it a different species or governmental experimentation or a natural mutation or what? She had so many questions she wanted to ask but couldn't because then the jig would be up and he'd 'deal' with her.

And how exactly would he do so anyway?

Did… Whatever he was… Have a certain _way_ of 'dealing' with normal people who found out? Strangulation maybe? He had nice hands with long, lean fingers.

How many days would it take for her father, bless his soul, to realize she was missing and then figure out she was dead and that she hadn't just run off like her mother had?

Chloe groaned at the very morbid road her thoughts had been leading her in.

Her stalker rolled onto his stomach and turned to look at her at that sound.

She averted her eyes and pretended to be staring at a collage of pictures on the wall.

Talking about his hands, they had fine white lines on them, scars, like the rest of his body. Obviously they were what were left over from that healing mark (probably a rune) he would place on himself after he got hurt. She'd only learnt of its existence tonight.

After the movies he'd been called away to do something and she'd been surprised and annoyed at how _alone_ she'd felt so the blonde had purposely stayed out later than usual doing whatever came to mind just so she wouldn't come home, and yet when she'd come back and found the house empty and the golden haired guy not waiting in her room scowling at her for making him have to wait on her so he could stalk her (it had happened in the past) she'd felt disappointed, and that sense of loneliness had increased. It'd made her feel like such a loser it'd been _horrendous_. But she'd pushed it away and done something else, anything else, until the guy had entered through the window she now left open (and didn't want to even think about why she'd started doing that).

He'd been injured, though not horribly so, and after casting a glance in her direction to make sure that she was in one piece he'd sat down on his corner of the room (when exactly had it become _his_ corner?) and had eyed her for a second before smirking and pulling out something that could either be Harry Potter's Wand or the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver. Either way, he'd used it to start burning the rune onto his flesh, and it'd started to glow gold, and even as he was drawing it he was healing. He kept sending her provoking looks, as if he was daring her to openly look at him, to watch him as he did this, to _admit_ that she knew he was there and just _look at him_.

She hadn't, of course, but after a while he'd gotten distracted with applying the rune correctly, and she'd managed to gaze at him then, to study the rune as it glowed in the dark corner. Whenever McStalky would look up she'd avert her gaze but she had a horrible feeling they both knew she was slipping, badly.

He never caught her eye though, and she always managed to make it seem like she was looking at something else, so at least for tonight she wasn't going to be 'dealt' with.

The blonde reached over and turned off the light, leaving them in shadows as she got into bed and turned to face Tall, Sinewy & Deadly Silent, who was once more comfortable in his corner. He now sat on the floor, his back against the wall, and watched her in the darkness. Or, at least she supposed he watched her in the darkness. She couldn't see him that good considering the lights were off. She wasn't going to complain though because that would be hypocritical considering she'd turned off the lights so she could stare at him and hide it better.

She had so many questions she wished she could ask him, especially about himself, that it killed her to have to keep them all bottled inside of her.

Slowly but surely, Magnus Bane wasn't the only mystery she wanted to unravel anymore.

But the one sitting in her room might just end up getting her killed.


	3. Not The Droid

What did it say about her that it was getting to become a normal thing for her to have Blondie McBlondo creeping in her room, and it seemed out of the norm when he wasn't around?

Right now he lounged on her bed, completely at home in her room as he silently gazed through tomorrow's edition of the Torch, which she'd printed out so she could edit. It'd been edited once already, and she'd printed it for the second edit but had gotten side-tracked. She'd bathed, spent some time in the bathroom trying to figure out what to wear to her interview with Wade, and by the time she'd returned to the bedroom she'd noticed that Blonde!Invisi!Rune!Dude had stretched out like a cat on her bed (entirely too comfortable there) and was engrossed in what he read.

Well, at least she had _one_ reader.

Her phone rang, and considering it was Lois (who would talk forever) and Chloe was still considering what to do with her hair (thus she needed her hands) the blonde decided to put the call on speaker as she eyed herself in the mirror, angling her body in such a way so she could sneak glances at the (admittedly handsome) guy on her bed. "Hello?"

"All ready for your date?"

The guy looked up at that so quickly Chloe had to fight to ignore it, her gaze concentrating on whether she wanted her hair up in a ponytail, or down around her shoulders. "It's not a date. It's an interview for the Torch. A very _important_ one. It'll bring the reader demographic up substantially and put me in better standing with the sports people, and you _know_ they're pissed with me after that article about-."

"It's a date." Lois completely bulldozed over her sentence with enthusiasm. "He's cute, muscular, and _manly_. He's everything you want and need in a man. He's also got tattoos. You've always said you like a guy with tattoos. I took that into consideration when I picked him."

Chloe licked her lips and did her best not to look at the lean yet muscular hunk with tattoos on her bed right at this moment. "Wade is... _nice_."

There was a pause. " _Chloe_."

She sighed. "Oh boy. I'm going to get lectured again, aren't I?"

Lois sighed as well. "Chloe, honey, I love you. I do. But this whole, 'connection' that you're waiting to happen-it doesn't happen anymore. I'm so scared that if you wait around to turn the corner one day and bump into someone, look up into their eyes and just _know_ deep in your soul that that's your soulmate- _honey I'm scared you're gonna be alone forever_."

Chloe looked up at the ceiling, a knot in her throat because Lois shared her exact same fear. "I know."

"I mean, I know you've always had those dreams, you know? About that dark prince thing? And while I'll be the happiest person if you ever meet him, I wont let you become an old spinster waiting for him." Lois ignored the snort from Chloe. "They were the fantasies of a _really_ lonely child praying for some dark savior who'd realize that she was smiling outwardly but screaming and crying on the inside. They were what kept you going until I moved to Metropolis and we became kick-ass close cousins, closer than Lucy and I could ever hope to be, and you know what? I'm okay with that."

Chloe smiled softly, totally forgetting her audience of one by now. So many times in the past Lois had been her 'dark savior', the only one able to see passed the mesmerizing smile and save Chloe from losing herself to the numbness of her own well-perfected mask, and her cousin had no idea of how much the blonde loved her for it. "You really _are_ a kick-ass cousin, I want you to know that."

"I do."

Chloe licked her lips and decided to put her hair up. "So, a date, huh?"

Lois squealed in happiness.

Chloe smiled.

-X-X-X-X-X-

Oh god, couldn't Stalkerstein leave her alone for her date/interview at least? Didn't he have _this_ amount of decency? Seriously, what was he expecting to glean from this amount of stalking? What sort of danger did she pose to whatever society he belonged to? Sure, she could see him with his invisibility rune on, but she was learning just as much about him during their time together as he was learning about him-and that was that she couldn't actually directly study him! He was a warrior, for one, and it wasn't the weapons that he kept on him (or his injuries after returning from time away) that tipped her off but the way he moved, silent and cat-like, his gaze always alert on them. He dressed like some odd dark warrior too.

Another thing she'd learnt was that some of the runes he wore were permanent and some of them weren't, because sometimes when he was with her he'd be tatted up completely-not one inch of his body free, while sometimes he only had a couple of them.

Seriously, he was being horrible at this stealthy stalking thing. _Or_ , like she thought, he just wanted an excuse to kill her once she _did_ slip up and admit that she could see him-had seen too much of his world. Either way, the girl was going to continue ignoring him and anything else that seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe he'd tire and give up.

"And then I won the game for the Crows, again." Wade grinned brightly as he finished telling his story, and it was a good thing she'd brought a recorder along because she'd zoned him out halfway through.

" _Wow_." Chloe gave him a smile. "That's-some amazing stuff."

There was a snort of derision behind her.

She blinked and had a feeling that might've come from Stalker!Boy.

Wade totally ignored it as he grinned and leaned forwards on the table, his hand resting on hers. "So this is going to be on the front page of the Torch?"

"Yeah." Chloe smiled more genuinely and nodded. "Tomorrow's edition. Everyone's going to love it, you're a hero to them."

His grin broadened. "It's amazing to know that after all this time they still remember me. All I did was throw a pigskin around and score some points."

" _Exactly_ , _"_ a voice mumbled darkly from the table behind Chloe.

She hadn't heard him speak in days and it made her jump in shock, the voice low and extremely manly. She cursed herself for reacting so violently, so _visibly_ , but instead she merely smiled at Wade. "You tickled me." Maybe the guy behind her would buy that that had been the reason she'd jumped, and that it hadn't been because of his voice.

Wade grinned a little dirtily as he leaned forwards, his thumb moving over the skin of her hand more languidly. "Are you ticklish _everywhere_?"

Chloe's lips parted.

Suddenly a handful of spaghetti came crashing down on the table between them and they pulled apart in confusion.

Wade looked around. "What the-?" He turned to the next table, to the guy who was staring at his plate of spaghetti in shock. "You're dead, dude!"

And with that, a fight broke out.

Hearing a dark chuckle, Chloe's gaze went to her glass and she could see Blondie MacStalkerson smirking in the background as he watched the fighting break out, one arm folded over his chest, the other held out and stained with tomato sauce.

She sighed and signaled to a terrified looking waiter. "Cheque please."

-X-X-X-X-X-

" _No._ "

"Yes." Chloe rolled her eyes as she finished editing the typed transcript of her interview/date with Wade (minus tickle comments of course). Thankfully Blondo Stalko had been called away soon after she'd arrived home safely and so she had the time all to herself.

" _No!_ "

" _Yes_!" Chloe caught an error that she'd missed the first time around and then pasted the finished article to the front page of the electronic Torch newspaper, printing the _whole_ thing so she could give it a one-over before she sent the file to the school to be printed first thing tomorrow morning.

"Did he make it out of there okay?"

"Last I saw of Wade he was pushing the guy's face in his plate of spaghetti and ordering him to eat it." Chloe rolled his eyes. "I have a feeling that if Wade and I had gone to high school at the same time, he would've been one of the jocks I would've _hated_."

Lois sighed. "Well, the guy _did_ ruin your date."

That was the thing though, the guy _hadn't_ , it'd been Stalky McStalky-not that she could tell anyone that without sounding completely insane (or in Lois' case _endangering_ her-because Lois would, unlike everyone else, believe her) so Chloe just kept quiet on that part. "I picked up the tab so I'm sure Wade won't be too pissed."

"He's no slacker, I'm sure paying for his meal won't-Derek's calling me on the other line." Lois hesitated. "It's obviously about what went down tonight. I'll call you back-see what he says Wade feels about it."

Chloe really didn't care-she'd gotten her interview, _and_ Wade got some 15 minutes of fame and a free meal. She really didn't see what he would have to be pissed off about. "Okay sure. Call me tomorrow." She hung up the call and stood, stretching and pulling off her skirt and shirt as she went to grab something to slip into to sleep in.

Behind her the bedroom window's curtain was pushed opened.

Her eyes widened in horror. Oh dear god. Why had she thought he wouldn't be coming back tonight?

She pushed back the horror and forced herself to stretch as if nothing were happening before she went to the drawer and pulled out a large t-shirt. The girl pulled it over her body and turned towards the bed, only now getting a view of Mr Date Ruiner.

He looked like crap.

He'd been hurt before, but he was _seriously_ hurt now as he leaned hard against her window and _stared_ at her as if in some sort of a trance.

The girl ignored it though, merely glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes when she dared as she turned off the lights and yawned, getting into bed.

What was he doing here?

If he was that hurt he should be in a hospital somewhere and not here in this bedroom! Surely he couldn't think she was so dangerous that he had to keep an eye on her! And even if he did-what did he think he could do in this condition?!

He continued to stare at her, still in that half-trance, before he limped towards the darkest corner and collapsed loudly on the ground with a groan.

And Chloe knew it was bad when he did that because he never did anything loudly. MacStalkerson was silent like a cat.

And yet now his silence bothered her. It was unnatural, as was his breathing. Wasn't right, she could feel it in her gut. She hadn't been lying when she'd said that she'd learnt a lot about him while he was here, and she knew the pattern of his breathing, and the rushed one he had now-it wasn't his even, nearly imperceptible normal one. Something was seriously off.

"I'm going to regret this." Turning on the lights, Chloe sat up in bed and her eyes widened in horror as she realized that he'd collapsed, unconscious, on her floor. "Stalko?" She flung her sheets off of her and hurried towards him, falling on her knees by his body and placing her hands on his forehead, pulling them away with a hiss. "MacStalkerson, you're burning up!" What in the hell was he _doing_ here and not at a hospital? "Where's your wand thingy?"

She hesitated for a second before she gave a little cry and began to search through his clothes, finally finding the thing she _knew_ wasn't a wand and yet had _no_ idea what to call it. The girl then closed her eyes and tried to remember the symbol he'd burnt into himself, tried to remember the golden outline that'd glowed into the darkness, the specific shape before it'd disappeared. It was somewhat complicated but it had fascinated her and she'd watched him, the boy somewhat distracted while he'd been applying it to himself that night to notice her watching him.

He needed her to do this right, to remember that symbol (which she was guessing was yet another 'rune', a healing one). He needed her to do this, to keep him alive.

A part of her wondered why she was doing this. He was her own brand of personal burning hell, he stalked her and made her life impossible, he'd just ruined her first date in only god knew how long-he was going to 'deal' with her once she slipped up and proved she could see him-and yet… and yet… "I can't let you bleed all over my tiles like this. I _like_ my tiles." She let out a stuttered laugh and closed her eyes tightly as she tried to envision the rune once more, and surprisingly enough, it came to her.

Bringing her hand to his skin, Chloe brought the device to him and began to draw on him, close to his heart, somehow knowing it would work better there, wincing when it burnt into his skin, but already she could see him beginning to heal and that gave her some courage. She watched as the golden Mark began to sink into his skin. The second it was done she did another, somehow knowing that this wouldn't be enough, that he was still in desperate need of healing.

The girl licked her lips as she stared into that unconscious face. "Why are you here and not wherever someone competent can do this for you?" As the next Mark began to sink into his skin she took a moment to brush back some of his blood-soaked hair from his face and _really_ get a good look at him. "Women throw themselves at you? Huh?" She shook her head at him as she remembered their short conversation outside of the Pandemonium Club. "Conceited jerk." And yet here she was, tending to said conceited jerk quite dutifully. "I don't know what your game plan is, bub, but you're messing with the wrong girl. I mean, you're not even my type so I'm not going to mess up or anything. And the only reason I'm not letting you die and thus stop being a thorn in my side is because I'd have no idea how to explain a dead boy on my floor to my dad."

She was _so_ bluffing here, but he didn't have to know that.

Then again, considering he was unconscious, she was basically talking to herself.

Sighing, Chloe continued to draw on his pretty skin. "You have pretty skin." She blinked, unable to believe she'd said that out loud. "For a guy. You have girly skin." She then snorted, sure he would've killed her had he been awake. "Oh god, I need to stop rambling when I'm around handsome guys, even the ones I _clearly_ have no interest in _whatsoever_." She took in a deep breath and continued drawing the runes all over his chest, telling herself to shut up, especially if, for some horrifying reason, he _could_ hear her. "What were you fighting though? Because these look almost like _claw_ marks." She couldn't think of anything around here with claws. Not even meteor freaks. "Dude, though, if you can hear me, take this as good faith and see that I'm not something you need to worry about, okay?" She wondered if she could 'subliminal message' him in this state and decided to try it. The blonde leaned in closer, resting her hand upon his heart for leverage, her voice soft and low as she spoke directly into his ear, her lips brushing against his skin as she did. " _This is not the droid you are looking for_."

He groaned, his voice hoarse and horribly resentful. " _Not another one_."

She froze in horror.

Oh dear _god_ he was awake!

He grabbed the hand above his heart, and the one at his shoulder and suddenly the world spun rapidly, Chloe's oxygen gushing from her lungs as she hit the ground and found herself staring up into his golden eyes, which were even more gold with his fever as he pinned her down. Even in his weakened state it only took on of his hands to secure both of her wrists to the floor above her head as he straddled her hips, Blondo Stalko staring down at her in a feverish haze. " _Why_ _ **you**_?"

She frowned up at him in confusion.

He blinked, a wave of dizziness overtaking him visibly before he shook it off and brought his attention back down on her full-force, resentful. Sweat dripped down his face and neck and he suddenly let go of her arms to yank off his shirt and throw it away, baring his chest to her as he captured her wrists once more. He then smiled like a predator. "Like the view? You always do. I'm surprised you haven't started touching me yet."

She gulped and realized that this was the work of his feverish state, it was almost like he was stuck between a fevered dream and reality. Maybe she could talk her way out of this, like she usually did whenever she got herself into tricky situations. "Well, I can't really do much touching if you've got my hands restrained, can I?"

He smirked. "But you like that."

Something inside of her jolted naughtily and she tried to suppress it because damn it, he could be right-she _might just like it_. "I thought you wanted to be touched."

He stared at her, and she gulped because he looked at her like someone in a desert might look at a cup of water. " _I do_."

When he loosened his grip on her Chloe knew she should use his weakened state to push him off and do something, but that look had done something to weaken _her_ , and she figured if he thought this was a dream, what could it hurt? The girl reached up and brushed his hair out of his face tenderly once more, a little worried. "Are you okay?"

Something strange passed over his features and he gulped. "I'm-why do you care?"

"You were seriously hurt, I was scared back there." Her voice came out as a gasp when he moved, shifted to accommodate himself between her thighs, bringing them more intimately close than she'd ever been with anyone. " _Are_ you… okay?"

His gaze lowered to her lips. "I'm great." And with that he swooped down and kissed her.

She could feel the fever through his lips, and when she ran her fingers through his hair it was wet, but she still couldn't break away, the world falling away as he kissed her unlike she'd been kissed before. She didn't think she'd be able to pull away even if she wanted to. Chloe had never been one to be blown away by emotions, she was usually quite analytic if she was to be truthful, but what she was experiencing right now had completely overridden any part of her brain that could function and tell her that what she was doing was a _very_ bad idea for _many_ different reasons.

All she knew was that if she stopped kissing him, if he stopped touching her, she might _die_. A part of her still knew it was physically impossible but-another part of her disagreed _vehemently_ to that. She'd die. She _would_.

He must've agreed too because when Chloe tore her lips from his to gasp for air he growled in displeasure and trailed his lips down the curve of her neck, teeth and lips alternating from sucking and biting the skin, leaving different sort of claiming marks as his hand trailed down the front of her shirt to cup her breast through the cotton of her shirt.

Chloe cried out, never happier that her father was never around as she arched into the touch, feeling the corresponding hardness against her stomach when she did so. She didn't even realize she was working on his pants until she cried out in frustration when she couldn't figure out how to get the buckle off and he chuckled a dark, pleasured sound that sent shivers of delight down her spine, the male bringing a hand down to help her with the task, his mouth at the hollow of her neck.

He then slumped over on top of her, a heavy weight, and she realized the fever and pain had taken its toll and he'd fainted.

A part of her lust-clogged mind screamed at him, the other part screamed at _her_.

Just what the _hell_ had she been about to _do_?

And with _him_ of all people!

 _Him_!

Chloe pushed him off of her and somehow managed to fix his pants, her blush ever-blooming. She drew more healing runes on him, put back on his shirt, got him back into his seated position, and placed the drawing stick thingy back where she'd found it before she went back to bed and tried to fall asleep, but it took forever. All she could think about, all she could remember, was what had happened between her and Stalky McStalky, and she realized she had a very serious problem.

As Lois would put it, she had a girl-boner for her stalker.

This was the _worse scenario possible_.

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Jace was in trouble.

He knew that from the second he woke up and realized he'd spent the whole night out of the Institute.

Usually he'd sneak in before anyone figured he'd been out so late but after he'd been called out to check the suspected demon attack and had been ambushed by-he still wasn't even sure _what_ that had been-well, he should've gone back to the Institute but he'd come here. He wasn't even sure why he'd done that. He'd _known_ he'd lost too much blood and was too weak to put the iratze on himself needed to heal, and yet here he was, healed. It was, confusing. He shouldn't be okay, he shouldn't be healed. The last thing he remembered was collapsing onto the floor and that was it. Had he managed to somehow put as many iratze on himself as was needed through the delirium?

The Shadowhunter shook his head and gazed up at the bed, where the object of his latest frustrating dream lay frustratingly peacefully with a frustrating smile on her frustratingly pretty face.

By the Angel, she was frustrating the hell outta him.

She wasn't a mundane, there was _no way_ she was a mundane, he wouldn't accept that! When was she going to admit to herself that she could _see_ him-despite the runes? _Why_ was she pretending that she couldn't? Why was she going to such great _lengths_ to convince _him_ of that fact as well?

The sooner she finally capitulated (because _he_ wasn't going to be the one to give in here), the sooner he could drag her off to the Institute and get Hodge to assign him to her. He'd figure out exactly what she was, and why she could see the Shadow World without the Voyance rune on the back of her hand, and he could better protect her. But first she needed to take that step and actually _acknowledge he was there_!

Otherwise she tied his hands!

Annoyed beyond belief, Jace shook his head as he went towards the window, able to hear the often-absent father downstairs (for once) in the kitchen.

He sent a backwards look towards Chloe and then took in a deep breath before he left through the window, jumping swiftly into the tree.

Time to face the music at the Institute and come up with some excuse as to why he didn't report back in last night.


	4. Meeting Magnus Bane... And His Brief Shorts

"Why are we even talking about this?" Chloe wanted to know, eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Because I think she was the catalyst to everything." Lois, as always, went straight to the point. "As a child you watched as your mother walked out on you and your father for some _dude_ from her past. No matter how much you begged her not to do it she wouldn't even look back at you as they left, and that's messed you up when it comes to love."

Chloe thought that over and figured that her cousin probably had a point there. "I dream about it sometimes, you know. I scream and beg her not to go and I tell her that I love her but she still goes and leaves me alone in the house until dad comes back hours later and finds me crying in a ball on the floor."

" _See_?" Lois stopped the video game they'd been playing and pointed accusingly at Chloe. "Aunt Moira's always to blame for everything! Dad always said that the best thing that came out of his brother marrying her was you being born. And I agree with him."

Chloe's lips twitched in amusement. "She can't be blamed for _everything_ , I'm sure."

"Give me a couple of days and I'm almost certain I can pin all of your issues on her." Lois seemed certain.

Chloe reached over and hugged her cousin. "I love you."

Lois hugged her back tightly. "I love me too."

Chloe cracked up, laughing loudly, as she knew had been her cousin's intent. "Why are you so awesome?"

"It's in my DNA, I can't help it, which mean's it's in _your DNA_ too, so buck up, Little Grasshopper." Lois pressed a kiss to Chloe's cheek as she pulled away and unpaused the game once more, the cousins getting back to playing. "So… Cards on the table: Wade."

Chloe licked her lips. "How about… I… _Fold_?"

Lois blinked. " _Really_?"

Chloe, who really wasn't into poker, wasn't exactly sure she'd given the right message. "Depends. What did I just tell you?"

Lois' lips twitched. "Basically, you're not betting anymore, you can't win, no further interest in playing the game."

Chloe brightened. "I fold."

Lois sighed. "Damn it. I thought he'd be perfect."

Chloe kicked someone in the head, repeatedly. "I know you're trying to get me into the dating scene again, but I've been busy."

"Chasing the hooker, I know."

Chloe did an illegal move she'd learnt on a cheat website and took the other dude down. "He's _not_ a hooker."

"You don't know that." Lois countered before she sent the blonde a sideways glance. "Where did you hear his name today?"

Chloe pursed her lips. "Would you believe me if I said his name got spelt in my cereal?"

Lois paused the game again. "Dude, aren't you just _trying_ to see things now?"

Chloe glared at Lois. "You think I _want_ to be crazy? It's why I _have_ to go and see him! There _has_ to be a logical explanation for all the crazy crap that's been happening to me!" She took in a deep breath. "And I'm going to find out tonight at his party."

Lois narrowed her eyes at Chloe. " _We're_ going to find out."

Chloe narrowed her eyes back at Lois. "This isn't like Pandemonium. _I'm_ going."

"Exactly, it's not like Pandemonium, you said these parties sound _way_ more out there, which means you need someone like _me_ to be there with you." Lois grinned, and it was all teeth. "I'm going with you to see the stripper who appears in your cereal bowl. That's it."

"Now, is he a hooker or a stripper, make up your mind."

Lois' lips twitched. "I'd be fine with either."

Chloe rolled her eyes, darkly amused.

-X-X-X-X-X-

" _Stop making me wear shirts_!"

"How many times do I have to tell you that that is actually a dress?" Lois rolled her eyes at Chloe as they walked towards the apartment. "It _is_. I _swear_ it is!"

Chloe pulled at the edges of the dress and glared at her cousin, suspiciously, disbelievingly. "It's shorter than the shirt I wore to Pandemonium!"

"It's why I told you we weren't dressed skankily… _then_." Lois, for once, seemed to have a bit of shame.

Chloe took in a deep breath, swearing to never again let her cousin buy her clothes, as they drew nearer.

"How do you know this is the place?" Lois finally asked, much taller than Chloe now with her heels. "I thought you didn't have any info on this guy."

"I couldn't track anything down on him, he's like a ghost." Chloe hated to admit that. "But that night we went to Pandemonium some kid pushed this into my hand." She reached into her bra and pulled out something, passing it to Lois.

Lois merely eyed her, ignoring the ticket. "Did you just pull that out of your bra?"

Chloe shooed her gaze away from her breasts.

"That was so hollywood," Lois snickered before she gazed down at what was in her hands. "Oh wow."

"I told you, his name just keeps popping up _everywhere_." Chloe peeked at the ticket that said: "YOU (PLUS ONE) HAVE BEEN INVITED TO MAGNUS BANE'S MAGNIFICENT PARTY"

"No, I mean yes, I mean… he's kinda… eccentric, huh?" Lois was blinking at the picture of Magnus Bane under the address, the handsome asian man wearing a sequined fedora and bright yellow suit.

Chloe nodded. "Behold, the elusive Magnus Bane."

Lois nodded and passed the ticket back to Chloe. "Sorry I ever doubted you."

"One day you'll learn better." Chloe knocked on the engraved lion-shaped handle and the door opened to reveal Magnus Bane himself in a tuxedo top and… brief shorts. Chloe's eyes widened and she blushed as she lost her voice to utter shock.

Lois bit the inside of her lips to keep from snorting. "I prefer a boxer shorts kinda guy myself."

He raised an eyebrow at her as he gyrated his hips. "I don't like the way they dangle so freely in boxers. Briefs shorts keep everything where they're supposed to be."

Chloe went redder.

"I can see your point." Lois nodded, as if there was nothing weird with this whole conversation.

Chloe merely held up the ticket.

Magnus took it from her, eyed them both and made an odd little sound in the back of his throat. "This will be interesting." He opened the door wide and motioned them inside. "Welcome, welcome, to my humble party. I don't remember inviting you two but I _do_ sometimes hand out a couple of freebies to my regulars and they hand them out so that's probably how you two lovely ladies got a hold of this." He motioned someone with drinks over. "Have drinks, relax, and enjoy the festivities!" He moved away, hands held out around him regally.

Chloe had yet to speak, still in shock over the underwear.

Lois eyed her before she shook her head. "Do you _always_ appear in people's cereal bowl?"

He paused and turned towards them. "Huh?"

Chloe cleared her throat and reminded herself that she was the one who should be doing the investigating here. "This might sound kinda crazy."

He moved closer with a lopsided smile. "You'd be surprise at how little sounds crazy here."

Lois eyed the other people at the party curiously.

Chloe just concentrated on the host. "I've been seeing and hearing your name, everywhere, for the last couple of weeks."

He blinked. "Have you now."

"And this isn't some weird stalker thing." Boy did she know about weird stalker things. "I'm just trying to figure out why your name gets spelt in my cereal, or in the clouds, or in random people's cigarette smoke, or why I get given coffee cups with your name on it at the Talon, or why-."

He eyed her before he motioned for the two girls to follow him. "Walk this way." He then began to saunter away in a quite eccentric fashion.

Lois blinked. "He doesn't mean _literally_ , does he?"

Chloe rolled her eyes and followed after him.

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Jace _had_ gotten in trouble, and not only _that_ , but Hodge was suspicious. The only good thing was that Maryse and Robert were still in Idris and that an infraction this minor wouldn't get reported to Isabelle and Alec's parents, Jace's adoptive parents. He wouldn't have heard the end of it otherwise. As it was, Hodge had Alec and Isabelle sticking to Jace like ticks, and Jace was annoyed as hell about it. He loved his adopted brother and sister, really, he did, and normally he liked spending time with them, hell, Alec was his _parabatai_ , that went to show just how much Jace cared about him… But right now Alec wasn't the person that he wanted to be around, especially not _tonight_ of all nights.

He knew Chloe's schedule well enough by now to know that tonight was the night she planned on infiltrating Magnus Bane's party, and he hadn't figured out all of the details, but Jace hadn't planned on letting her go to that den of Downworlders alone. No way in hell.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Jace closed his eyes and stopped in his tracks as he let out a sigh and turned to face that voice. "Out."

"That part was obvious." Alec leaned against the doorframe, Isabelle behind him. "What wasn't obvious was _where_ you were sneaking off to."

"Or why you don't feel you can tell us." Isabelle narrowed her eyes at him.

Alec gazed down at that.

Jace cleared his throat. "I just need some air."

"Don't you think you got enough _air_ last night?" Alec's gaze shot up.

A muscle jumped in Jace's cheek. "Look, I know Hodge is worried about me, but I'm a capable Shadowhunter. I can take care of myself and I don't need _babysitters_."

"We're not babysitting you." Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Boys. They're _**so dramatic**_."

"What's going on, Jace?" Alec sighed, sounding tired. "You've got to let us in. How can we help you if you don't let us in?"

"But there's nothing I need help with." And there wasn't. Not at this stage at least. "When there is, you two will be the first to know, I _promise_." He turned to leave.

"Hodge wants you to stay in tonight." Isabelle reminded him. "Just for tonight, Jace."

His fist tightened on the doorknob. "I have to go out."

" _Why_?" Alec snapped, and it was a testament to how much this affected him because Alec wasn't usually temperamental. " _What_ is going _on_ with you?"

" _Fine_." Jace turned to them. "You two _really_ want to know?"

Isabelle threw her hands in the air. " _What have we been_ _ **saying,**_ _you nitwit_?"

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Magnus Bane merely lounged in his seat and looked at her in contemplative silence after she finished telling him her story. And it was after she finished everything that Chloe realized just how insane she really sounded. She honestly wished she hadn't come, hadn't told him anything. It was truly insane. As was the fact that she thought invisible hot guys were stalking her (not that she'd mentioned that part). It was probably all in her head. Lois was probably right. Moira's abandonment for her old boytoy was probably all to blame for this somehow!

"You know, I didn't think it'd take this long, and when it did I figured you were dead."

Chloe blinked and turned to look at him in confusion. "What?"

Lois looked up from the portrait of Magnus, wearing a pink catsuit, riding a polar bear, swimming in a sea of bubbling champagne. "Huh?"

"You were supposed to find me sooner, earlier, when you were _much_ younger." He leaned forwards in his seat and eyed Chloe. "The block I put on your mind must have been stronger than I anticipated."

Chloe blinked. "Wait- _block_?"

"You did something to her _mind_?" Lois twirled on him. "So you're not a stripper? You're a _mentalist_?"

He raised an eyebrow. "High Warlock of Metropolis, actually." He turned to Chloe in question. "Stripper?"

"You don't want to know." She waved that question away, her legs shaky. "Why did you block my mind? Did I see something I wasn't supposed to?"

Lois eyes widened. "Is she in the witchy witness protection program?"

Magnus's lips twitched again. "You could say something like that." He eyed the brunette. "You know, you're taking this fairly well for a mundane."

Chloe's eyes narrowed at that word.

Lois shook it off. "You don't want to know how many times this body's been possessed. It should be criminal." She sat down, heavily, onto a free seat and let out a heavy sigh. "Ghosts and now warlocks. On top of MFs what else _is_ there in this world?" She looked up at the ceiling. "I'm going to have to invest in a better security system!"

Magnus eyed her before turning his gaze on Chloe. "She's good for entertainment sake, isn't she?"

Chloe felt bad for her cousin, but nodded nonetheless.

The warlock cleared his throat before he eyed the blonde. "So you're what, sixteen?"

"Seventeen," she corrected.

"Seventeen." He continued to eye her. "A woman."

"Hey hey hey!" Lois narrowed her eyes at him. "No funny business, Mister High Warlock of Metropolis."

"No funny business intended," he assured her, eyes still on Chloe. "I just think that it's your age-the reason why the block is beginning to come undone."

"I see how that could make sense." Chloe gulped. "So… Why did you block my mind?" She watched him carefully. "Obviously you _wanted_ me to find you, that's why you put clues, your _name_. But if so why block me in the first place? I don't understand anything. What could I have seen that could've been so horrible-and if it was so horrible-why unblock it in the first place? Wouldn't it be better to leave it unblocked? Safer?"

"I agree with her." Lois put in her two cents. "I say whatever it is we keep it blocked." She then noticed another painting, this one of Magnus doing the tango with a cross-dressing frog, a rose in his mouth, and her lips curled in a smile. "I can't figure out which painting I like more."

The warlock didn't even look at her. "Easy. That one." He pointed to a different one.

The brunette craned her neck to see yet another painting she hadn't noticed until he'd pointed it out. "Oh, you're right. Best one yet."

Chloe didn't even turn to see what that one was all about but she figured it featured an animal somehow. "Getting back to the topic of this block…"

"I can't keep it up, it was never meant to stay on permanently, only until you were old enough to handle what was being blocked." He clasped his hands over his chest as he sighed. "To be quite frank, I'm surprised it's stayed up as long as it has on its own without my power feeding it." He eyed her. "Why hasn't Moira brought you back to me since your eighth birthday?"

Chloe blinked in surprise. "She used to bring me here?"

He smiled softly, and the look surprised her. "I've seen you grow up from a baby till you were eight. She asked for the memory to be removed from you so that you wouldn't have any questions she couldn't answer." The smile then faded. "And then she stopped bringing you to me, despite knowing how dangerous it was for me not to keep checking on the stability of the block on your mind and feeding power into it. I would've come to you but she had made sure not to tell anyone where the both of you lived." He narrowed his eyes on her. "How did she die?"

Lois snorted. " _Please_."

Magnus Bane sent her a sideways glance before those yellow/green eyes, which had vertical cat-like pupils now that Chloe _really_ looked at him, narrowed on her. "Explain."

"What do you want me to explain?" The blonde shrugged. "She's not dead."

Magnus appeared completely confused. "Then why isn't she here with you? Why hasn't she brought you every year since your eighth birthday?"

"Hormones came a'knocking." Lois muttered.

Chloe ignored her and took in a deep breath. "She left my father and I sometime after my eighth birthday-left and never came back."

"Impossible. She would _never_ abandon you." And Magnus seemed _so sure_ about that that it hurt.

"She did. I was there when it happened." Chloe licked her lips, shocked that it hurt so much to talk about it, that girl had been so sure that she was over it by now. "She walked out of our front door and no matter how much I begged her not to go she wouldn't even turn back to look at me."

The confusion on Magnus' face was palpable. "What the devil happened?"

"Oh, I'll _tell_ you what happened." Lois stood. "She had the choice between being a woman and being a mother, and she made the _wrong damn choice_."

Magnus narrowed his eyes as he suddenly went still. "There was a man involved in her decision to leave?"

Suddenly there was a commotion outside, it sounded like there was a fight about to start.

Magnus growled as he stood, going to the curtain that separated the room from the rest of the party. His eyebrows raised. "Nephilim? Who invited _them_?" He tilted his head to the side. "Though that one with the blue eyes is kinda cute."

Lois got up at the sound of cuteness and joined Magnus at the curtains. "The guy? You're right. He _is_. But he should stop downplaying it."

"I agree, he has so much potential." Magnus declared as his hands went to his thin hips in determination as if he'd just charged himself with a monumental task. "I might have to do something about that."

"Magnus, you wolf in sequined clothing you." Lois grinned and elbowed the High Warlock of Metropolis teasingly. "Gonna huff and puff and blow his pants off?"

"My reputation precedes me I see." He grinned back down at her.

Chloe stared between them in stunned disbelief.

"Chloe! Come here! _Tell_ me these guys aren't hot!" Lois waved her over.

Chloe moved towards her numbly, not exactly sure how this had become her life, the blonde finding herself scrunched between Magnus and Lois, each of them putting an arm around her shoulders as they peered out at the "Nephilim", who were arguing with some of Magnus' guests.

"You see, _this_ is why I don't invite the Shadowhunters to my parties. They might be pretty, but they're nothing but problematic." Magnus sighed. "Can't get along with others."

"Okay, Chloe, Magnus has dibs on the cute dark haired guy, and normally I'd pick the other cute guy immediately, but since I'm trying to get you to date I'm going to have to give you the blonde and-."

Chloe didn't hear anything Lois was saying, her eyes wide as she stared at Stalky McStalky and his two dark haired companions from Pandemonium Club. His companions were looking around, displeased as they talked amongst themselves, the argument with the other partygoers having ended, but the blonde was resolute, his gaze narrowed and on the crowd, apparently searching for someone or something.

Just what the _hell_ where those three _doing here_?

Her heart raced in horror.

What if he found her here?

Oh god-she was gonna _die_!

His gaze shifted towards her, and she squeaked and ducked down and away, leaving Magnus and Lois at the curtain.

Lois blinked and turned to face her cousin. "Uh, Chloe?"

Magnus closed the curtain behind him. "Have you seen them before?"

"Yeah?" Chloe gave him a little shaky smile.

"Do they _know_?" Magnus pressed.

"I've tried pretending that I can't see them. The two brunettes believe me, but I don't believe MacStalkerson does."

"MacStalkerson?" Lois blinked before she glared at her cousin in horror. "He's been _stalking_ you? And you didn't think to _tell_ me?"

"I was the only one who could see him. How exactly did that sound?" Chloe threw her hands up in the air.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Lois snapped. "I would've believed you anyway!"

"In her defense, she seems to take these things pretty well for a mundane." Magnus seemed to be on Lois' side. "I believe she would've believed you."

Chloe took in a deep breath. "I know she would've. That's why I didn't tell her."

Lois frowned, all her anger gone. "I'm more confused now."

Chloe looked around her, uncomfortable. "They said they'd _deal_ with me. Okay? If they could prove I could see them I'd be 'dealt' with. That didn't sound pleasant, and I figured that anyone who knew about them would be dealt with too, even if they couldn't see them."

Lois marched up to Chloe silently and smacked her up the back of her head.

"Ouch!" Chloe cried out in shocked pain. "What the-?"

"If you _ever_ do something stupid like that again I'll make that seem like it was a caress! You hear me!?" Lois then hugged her, tightly. "MacStalkerson is going _down_! NO ONE threatens my cousin! Or hurts her!"

Magnus stared between, amused. "Except you, apparently."

Lois snorted. "That goes without saying."

Chloe closed her eyes and merely hugged her cousin back.

Magnus smirked as he reached into his tuxedo top and pulled out a card, flipping it in his fingers as he handed it out to them. "I'm going to go out and distract them. Meanwhile there's a back exit. You two-go to Lois' for the night and call me in the morning. We'll meet and finish our conversation then."

Chloe took the card and gave him a smile. "Thank you."

He nodded and smiled as he straightened his top. "Think nothing of it." He winked at Lois. "Wish me luck with the cute one."

Lois moved over to him and swatted his butt. "Blow his pants off."

He snorted. "I like you."

"I have that effect on men," she informed him seriously.

With a chuckle, Magnus Bane went to do his magic.

The girls waited, watched Magnus Bane converse with the Nephilim, and the second he turned the trio's attention elsewhere the girls ducked out of the room and dashed out towards the back of the apartment. They kept low and blended with the others there, Chloe wondering exactly who and what these other people were in here with them and yet deciding that she didn't want to know, not right now. Blondie McBlondo was a "Shadowhunter" which meant he hunted _something,_ which meant there was _something to hunt_ , and that didn't make her feel safe at all.

"Oh my god. People are leaving with _rats_." Lois grabbed Chloe's hand tightly as they finally noticed the back door and made their way towards it, relief a twin feeling in their guts. "Is that a _normal_ party favor in warlock shindigs? Because if so, remind me to have a talk with Magnus about it tomorrow. Me and his party planner have _got_ to sit down and _talk_!"

Lois was right, lots of people were leaving with rats, which, was really _weird_ when you stopped to think about it. Why rats?

Who went to a party and said "oooh, I hope I get a _rat_ out of this"?.

Shaking her head in confusion, and mild disgust, Chloe sent a look over her back, just to make sure that the Shadowhunters hadn't caught onto the ruse and weren't after them. They were fine, no one that she recognized where behind them. The blonde let out a little sigh and as the two girls finally piled out of the back door of Magnus' apartment and breathed in the night air, they shared little laughs and raced away, feeling more alive than they had in a _very_ long time.

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"So, that was a bust." Isabelle eyed the Downworlders carrying their friends who'd willingly drank the potions that made them rats. "Do you think that the euphoria you supposedly feel when you drink that potion really _is_ worth the time you spend as a rat?"

"No." Alec looked shaken up. Then again, it wasn't every night you got hit on by a guy with glitter in his hair, a tuxedo top, and only brief bottoms.

Jace wasn't even listening to them, his gaze on those leaving the apartment. "I'm _sure_ I saw a glimpse of her mundie cousin with Magnus before he came out and distracted us."

"He _would_ be the perfect distraction." Alec then cleared his throat. "I mean, uh, you saw him." He looked away and ran his hand over his face, which was dangerously close to a blush. "He didn't even have on _pants_."

Isabelle wasn't going to laugh. She _wasn't._ This was a serious issue for her brother, even if it made him terminally cute to her.

"I'm going to her house to make sure she didn't get grabbed by a Downworlder while on her way back… But then again if Magnus Bane was distracting us, he obviously doesn't trust Shadowhunters and would've told her not to go there." Jace began to pace, like a lion in a cage.

Isabelle's amusement faded as she stared at her adopted brother, never having seen him like this before. Just what was it about this mundie girl that had him like this?

She sent a worried look towards her brother, knowing his feelings.

Alec merely looked away.

"The _cousin's_." Jace's eyes widened, his lips curling. "She'll go to the _cousin's_." He turned and stalked away.

Isabelle watched him go and pursed her lips before she turned to her brother. "You realize that since Hodge said we have to keep an eye on him we have to go too, right?"

A muscle jumped in Alec's cheek. "You realize that he's stalking a _mundane_ _girl_. This is easily against the Law… somehow."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning on reporting him?"

Of course he wasn't.

Alec was pale and tired as he sighed, as if the weight of the world were on his young shoulders. "Come on, before he does something _else_ we'll have to get him out of trouble for."

Isabelle nodded and wondered exactly what they would do if it ended up that Jace wasn't just imagining things and this mundie girl really _did_ see through their invisibility runes. What then?

Her gaze went to her brother in worry as they hurried after Jace.


	5. When The Past Bites You In The Butt

_"You don't say." Moira Sullivan smiled tenderly at her daughter._

_"I do." Eight year old Chloe Sullivan shook her head of long, golden ringlets, cheeky smile in place. "Not everyone is as happy a person as I am you know."_

_Moira pulled her daughter to her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "It's true. Not everyone are as fortunate as we have been." She dragged her daughter up onto her lap, the two of them hugging each other as they gazed at a picture of a newborn Chloe, Moira and Gabe. "So you know that just the fact that your daddy and I have decided to try for another kid doesn't mean that we love you any less."_

_"Pffft." Chloe rolled her eyes. "I_ _**want** _ _a kid brother or sister; someone to torment."_

_Moira burst out laughing. "What a rotten child you are!"_

_Chloe giggled and cuddled closer into her mother's heat. "But seriously momma, I would love a brother or sister, and I would always love them. I've always wanted one."_

_"Is that so?"_

_"Yeah…" Chloe nodded as she closed her eyes. "Especially a brother."_

_Moira raised an eyebrow in visible intrigue as to the workings of her daughter's mind. "Why a brother? I think you'd do better with a sister. Someone to play dress up with."_

_"Maybe." The child yawned. "But a brother would protect me."_

_Moira gave a little laugh. "You'd be the older sister, honey. You'd have to protect him."_

_She shook her head. "He'd be the brother. Older or younger, he'd protect me."_

_Moira hugged her tightly and pressed another kiss to the top of her head. "I love you so much honey, so very much."_

_The girl was about to drift to sleep. "I love you too, momma."_

_A knock sounded on the door. Moira got up and placed Chloe on the sofa before she went to the door and opened it, a cry escaping her lips._

_"Hello, Moira."_

_Half asleep, Chloe rubbed at her eyes as she sat up in the sofa. "Momma? Who is it?"_

_Her mother turned to look at her in mute horror._

_The man in the doorway eyed Chloe with some contempt. "I see you've assimilated yourself into this mundane's life and forgotten your_ _**true** _ _obligations, your_ _**true** _ _purpose." He entered the house without any invitation as he neared the child, who awoke fully under this stranger's gaze. "I can see why you could grow attached to her though. Such a pretty child, practically glowing with life." He reached out to grip Chloe's long golden locks. "I hear you've been a little distraction."_

_"_ _**Don't you dare touch my daughter** _ _." Moira came after him._

_"Your daughter." This man scoffed as his grip tightened in Chloe's hair nearly painfully, almost punishingly. "Don't make me laugh." He stared at Chloe with thinly-veiled disgust as he let go of the terrified little girl. "I'm here for_ _ **you**_. _I have no interest in this child._ "

_Chloe looked up at her in confusion and fear, scalp stinging. "Momma?"_

_Moira seemed to think something over before she took in a deep breath. "I understand."_

_He raised an eyebrow. "I trust you know where we need to go after we leave here." When Moira merely nodded silently he gave a small smile and turned his gaze to Chloe, reaching out to cup her face, his touch more gentle this time, even though his black eyes were far from gentle. "She really_ _**does** _ _have a certain glow to her."_

_Moira's hands tightened into clenched fists at her side._

_"Momma?" Chloe whispered, really scared._

_"_ _**Be quiet.** _ _" Moira had never spoken to her like that before._

_Chloe flinched and did as told._

_He stood and moved towards Moira. "Let's go. We have much to do and a long way to travel."_

_Moira nodded. "Of course. If we leave now we can make it there before nightfall."_

_"Good." He reached for the door and opened it before he sent the woman a curious look. "Do you want to say goodbye to the girl? I wouldn't keep you from doing so. I am not a monster, you know, despite what you did to me." He held his hand out to her. "I understand and I forgive."_

_Eight year old Chloe stared in horror at her mother and the man._

_Goodbye?_

_Moira shook her head. "No. This part of my life is over. I should just rip my connection with them off like a band-aid." She placed her hand in his and turned it as she brought the back of his hand to her lips and kissed it._

_He shook his head, pleased._

_Fear pulled at Chloe's heart, the child somehow knowing that if her mother crossed the threshold of that door she'd never see her again. She screamed for her mother, screamed her name, screamed that she loved her, begged her not to leave her, but her mother never hesitated, never looked back once, and left with that man, closing the door shut behind her with a resounding bang._

-X-X-X-X-X-

Chloe cried out as she sat up in bed, sweating, her heart racing as she stared in front of her trying to catch her breath. She couldn't believe she still had that nightmare and that it affected her this badly. Then again, maybe it made sense that she'd had it tonight with everything that'd happened with Magnus Bane and her mother coming up in the conversation, it was bound to stir up bad memories, wasn't it?

There was movement in the darkness and it was only thanks to her live-in stalker that Chloe was used to such things and didn't scream immediately despite the fact that this wasn't her room, or her _house_. She covered her face and breathed in and out, using the excuse of trying to calm down from her nightmare to glance through her slitted fingers to assess the situation in the dark room and realized that all three Shadowhunters were there. Goddamn it. The blonde must've said _something_ to convince the other two to at least _check out_ his suspicions about her again. That ungrateful ass. See if she saved and then made out with him _ever_ again!

The girl breathed in and out, licked her lips, and figured out she was just going to have to convince them that she couldn't see them.

Oh god, this was going to be embarrassing.

With a sigh, Chloe pulled her hands from her face and gazed towards Lois, who was snoring on her side of the bed. The blonde then slipped out of the bed and stretched, her clothes sticking to her body from the sweat from her nightmare. It usually ended up this way when she had the nightmare of the day her mother left, and she didn't give herself time to think about her really horrible plan to convince those watching that she couldn't see them. The girl pulled her shirt off of her and let it fall to the ground at her feet before she pulled down her shorts.

MacStalkerson's eyes went wide as he hurriedly covered the other guy's eyes with his hand.

The female covered her mouth with her hands, as if she was barely keeping from snorting in laughter.

Chloe moved towards the bathroom and left the door open as she turned on the water and bathed, leaving the light off not to bother Lois. She hoped to god that this would convince them that she couldn't see them, at least convince those two dark haired ones! She couldn't handle all of this with all three of them added on top of everything! The blonde bathed and slipped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her body as she went to the sink and wiped at the steam that covered the mirror as she stared at her pale reflection in the dark bathroom.

There was a scuffle in the bedroom and she was worried about Lois for a second, but then then she could hear the door creak open behind her and saw a flash of blonde reflected in the darkness in the mirror.

The blonde lowered her gaze, her grip on the edge of the sink as she stared at said sink and breathed in and out, in and out, feeling him drawing nearer.

He was behind her, she could both feel him and see his reflection in the sink.

Was he here to kill her? Was that it?

She closed her eyes as her grip on the edge of the sink tightened.

He was suddenly yanked away from her, and her eyes opened wide in surprise at the coldness left behind at his absence. The girl ran her hand through her hair and turned, seeing the two boys glaring at each other, but she ignored them as she walked between them and out of the bathroom into the bedroom, stealing one of Lois' nightgowns, dropping the towel to the floor while the boys argued softly in the bathroom, and slipping the nightgown over her head before she got back into bed next to her cousin.

The female Shadowhunter eyed her curiously before she moved towards the window.

The two males exited the bathroom silently, the dark haired one motioning for the blonde to follow him, _now_.

The blonde took in a deep breath before he did so.

The female eyed Chloe once more before she followed as well.

Chloe wondered, as she tried to go back to sleep, if she'd finally convinced them and if this was the last that she'd see of the Shadowhunters.

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"What the _hell_ was that in there?" Alec wanted to know, running his hand through his hair as he pointed with his other towards the house.

"What was _what_?" Jace was barely keeping his patience intact himself. "The part where you forced me to-?"

"The part where you went into her bathroom, when she'd just finished bathing!" Alec snapped at him.

"I gave her enough time to put on a towel." Jace snapped right back at him. "You saw her. She was having a nightmare. Something was bothering her."

"Are you concerned over the mundie, Jace?" Isabelle eyed him suspiciously.

"She's not a mundane." Jace couldn't get how they couldn't see it. "She _knew_ we were there."

"Oh, so she just tore her clothes off because we were there?" Alec snarled.

" _Yes_!" Jace snarled back.

Isabelle looked very impressed. "You really think that?"

Jace palmed his face. "She's never done anything like that before. That sort of out of the norm behavior suggests that she was trying to prove something."

"Or that she honestly had no idea that we were there!" Alec shook his head.

Isabelle sent the house a backwards glance. "What is it about that mun-girl, Jace?"

"I don't know." And he hated to admit it. "I just _don't know_."

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There it was again, that sound.

Eyes narrowed, Chloe sat up in her cousin's bed and listened intently. She'd watched the trio as they walked away and had been sure that they were gone, but if that was so then what in the world- _there it was again_.

Gulping, Chloe eyed Lois and then moved towards the door. She opened it and then turned the lock as she closed it behind her, protecting the sleeping brunette. Chloe looked around the dark hallway of her uncle's home and looked left and right, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from, and then she heard it again and moved towards the sound. What was it?

Turning the corner, the blonde reached the stairs and looked down. Below, the door to the library was ajar. She spent a lot of her time over at Lois' in the library because, despite the fact that The General didn't like her mother, he'd taken in a lot of her books after she'd left, and Chloe would come over to read them. It seemed like there was someone in the library, and that was weird considering that The General was in Michigan for some sort of special training thing.

Eyes narrowed, Chloe narrowed her eyes and saw definite shadows move in the library. There was someone there. The girl turned to leave. She had to get to a phone and call the police to report the break in immediately.

" _-Moira_."

Chloe froze at the sound of her mother's hissed name and looked back down below. What _about_ her mom? Were whoever were below there looking through her mother's books?

The blonde knew it was a stupid idea even as she began to make her way down the steps, one at a time, and as she drew further below she could hear a little more of what was being said inside.

" _-antidote-."_

_"-last resort-."_

_"-so many years now-."_

She narrowed her eyes and crept off of the stairs, her shoeless feet helping her to move soundlessly as she approached the door to the library, which was ajar. There seemed to be two people inside, males, and they were definitely looking for something.

" _It has to be here."_

_"We've looked everywhere else."_

_"Maybe the brat knows."_

_"Mundie brat knows nothing."_

" _Hurts none to ask her. Especially when she's just on the other side of the door._ "

Chloe's eyes widened and she didn't have time to react for the door to be yanked fully open to reveal two burly men, one of them pulled her in and the other closed the door. "What do you want?"

The men looked at her, almost in shock.

She stood there, pinned against the door, one of the men's hands around her throat, not about to scream and wake up Lois.

"You look like-."

Were they going to say that she looked like her mother?

Chloe stopped struggling as she looked from one to the other in shock. No one had ever told her that before. She didn't really think she looked like her, maybe her light colored eyes, but otherwise the coloring was wrong considering she had blonde hair and pale skin.

The second male got over whatever shock they'd gotten when they saw her better than the first and he narrowed his eyes at her. "If you value your life, girl, you'll tell us where the Cup is."

"Cup?" She blinked in utter confusion. "Why didn't you tell me you were thirsty? I'll get you a drink of water."

The one holding her reacted and pulled from her the door only to slam her back against it. "Let's try this one more time. The. Cup. _Where is it_?"

The world was spinning. "Cup. Cup. Cup." She scratched at his hand. "World Cup? Soccer Cup? _What Cup_?"

"Don't play games with us little girl." His voice was a snarl as he tightened his grip on her. "You know what we're talking about. You _must've_ seen Moira with the Cup when you were a child."

She was seeing spots dancing in front of her eyes, and wondered if maybe this _Cup_ had something to do with the block on her mind. "Oh, right, _that_ Cup." She gulped in air desperately when he loosened his grip greatly at that. "Why weren't you more specific in the first place?"

"Where is it?" He dropped her to her feet. "Give it to us and we will consider sparing your pathetic, mundane life."

"Gees, you two are so magnanimous." She rubbed her throat as she gazed between the both of them, stalling as she tried to figure out how to get herself out of this mess. "Why exactly where you looking for the Cup _here_?"

" _Where is it_?" They weren't going to be any sort of help, were they?

"Fine, but once you do take it leave this place. I don't want anything of my mother's close to me, I have abandonment issues you know and counseling fees are high." Chloe rolled her eyes and moved towards the desk, a weird buzzing in the back of her head. "Are you friends of hers?"

One of them stormed up to her and grabbed her arm, lifting her up. "Stop stalling and-!"

It was all she'd needed. She'd used the time to grab the letter opener and jabbed it up into his neck. When he dropped her to yell and bring his hands to the wound, Chloe acted on instinct, using the letter opener to slice up his skin, grunting as the blade carved through. She finished, vaguely aware that the wound she'd left was oddly in the shape of a design, in time for the other guy to backhand her and send her flying into the wall.

"That mundie bitch-!" But the one she'd carved up didn't have time to finish that sentence began suddenly his skin was bubbling, his eyes widening in horror as he turned to look at his comrade in scared confusion. " _What's happening to me?_ "

His companion did nothing to help, he instead backed away from him in horror and only watched as his comrade dissolved into a pile of boiling blubber. He then turned to face Chloe, his eyes wide in shocked understanding.

For Chloe the world was breaking apart, shattering all around her, going dark and then shockingly white. She might have a concussion and thus was in no condition to fight back when the remaining guy stalked towards her and instead of killing her like she thought he would, he yanked the bloody letter opener from her hands, threw it far away from her, and grabbed and threw her over his shoulder. The girl weakly tried to hit his back with her hands but it was barely a tap as he turned to leave with her hanging upside down like some sack of potatoes.

"Never thought I'd see a living rendition of Beauty and the Beast." Never before had she been so happy to hear her stalker's voice before. "Now that I have, you can put her down, nice and easy."

"You know who I serve, Shadowhunter?" The one who held her snarled.

"Yeah, we know who you serve." That was a female voice. "Now put the girl down so we can kill you."

"You don't want to do this, don't want to anger him." The one who held her warned.

"What would he want with a mundie?" That had to be the dark haired guy.

The one holding her laughed darkly.

"How many times do I have to tell you two that she's not a _mundane_?" The blonde haired one snapped.

Suddenly Chloe was thrown violently into someone, and then all went black.

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" _I can't believe you marked a mundane_!" Hodge Starkweather snapped at Jace. "Were you _trying_ to turn her into a Forsaken?"

"Respectfully, sir, I knew she wasn't a mundane when I marked her with the invisibility rune. And it _proved_ that I was right this whole time. She _isn't_ a mundane, she survived the process without any complications and we were able to get her out of there without her cousin finding us, or seeing us take her." Jace held his hands behind him, standing in a military position. "The cousin had heard the ruckus was caused while fighting his servant, who escaped, and she'd called the police. If we were to take the girl without the cousin or the police finding us we had to use the rune."

"You took a great risk, you are only lucky that girl isn't a mundane or you'd have broken the Law, and even I couldn't have saved you then." Hodge ran his hand over his face as he took in a deep breath, his eyes on the boy, unable to believe that Jace was giving him this much trouble. Sure, the boy had always had a mischievous streak in him, but it had never been like _this_. "Are you _sure_ that it was one of _Valentine's_ men who attacked this girl's house? Who was trying to kidnap her?"

Jace nodded. "If I hadn't convinced the others to go back she would have been taken."

Hodge eyed the boy, not sure what to say. "And you say her name is Chloe Sullivan, and her birth certificate declares her mother's maiden name as Moira Lane? Neither Lane nor Sullivan are Shadowhunter names. What interest could Valentine have in the girl?"

"It could do have to do with how she can see the Shadow World without the Voyance rune, sir." Jace reminded him.

"And you've learnt nothing else about her during your… investigation… that could be of any use?" He narrowed his eyes. There was just something about the way Jace was reacting to this girl… "Go, I want you to be there once she awakens. Let me know the moment she does."

Jace nodded and left, a little too eagerly.

Hodge watched him go and his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

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"Do you have the Mortal Cup?" Valentine stared at his servant.

"No sire." He shook his head, bowed.

Valentine stared down in intrigue. "I thought I told your faction not to return to me without the Mortal Cup or an antidote, or I would kill you. So why have you dared to show your face?"

"Because, Lord Valentine, I do not have the Mortal Cup, or the antidote, but I have news of equal value." He kept his head bowed.

This sounded interesting. "And what, pray tell, do you think could be of equal value to me as those two things?"

"Phelan died on this campaign My Lord Valentine," he took in deep breath. "Gabriel Sullivan's daughter killed him."

Valentine froze on his throne. "Say that again?" The last time he'd seen the mundane child she'd been screaming after Moira as the woman left her behind. The detestably pitiable kid didn't look capable of bringing anyone, much less _Phelan_ of all people, to their deaths.

"She did, Milord." He sounded sure of it. "I saw it with my own eyes."

"And pray tell _how_ did this girl bring Phelan to his bitter end?" Valentine wanted to hear this, disbelieving.

There was a pause, and then he took in a deep breath. "She used a letter opener and then carved a rune I have never seen before into his skin." He gulped, as if able to sense how Valentine went deadly still at this news.

"A… letter opener?" Valentine breathed in, breathed out. "Are you not sure it wasn't a stele?"

"No, I had looked at it earlier myself while searching through the mundane's library. It was a common letter opener." The man sounded sure, confident. "She used it to carve the rune into Phelan's skin-but she didn't have any runes on her-she isn't a Shadowhunter. She shouldn't have any runic training."

Valentine tightened his grip on the arms on his throne. "What happened to Phelan? What did this rune of hers do to him?"

The man bowed his head further. "His skin-his whole body-bubbled-boiled-away into nothing. There was no trace of him left, no evidence to be found of his existence. I do not believe that there was anything left of him by the time those from the Metropolis Institute arrived. I think they believe I acted alone, although I am sure the girl will tell them otherwise once she awakens."

Valentine sat transfixed on his throne as realization hit him hard like a sword to the gut.

She'd _lied_.

The child they'd left behind hadn't been the mundane's!

The revelation left him reeling and he was glad that he was seated because had he been standing...

He'd been so sure of Moira's inability to carry a child to term! It, and her fidelity to his cause, were what had made her the perfect initial guinea pig, as any child of hers would be stillborn and able to be studied! It was why he'd done all sorts of tests, all sorts of things he wouldn't have otherwise, _hadn't_ done otherwise.

His eyes widened as he realized what tests, which _exact experiments_ , he'd been conducting on the fetus Moira had been pregnant with before her disappearance. The fetus he'd been sure she'd miscarried, just like the others, due to the large amount of blood that he'd found in her home later on.

It took all of his years of practice to keep breathing normally, excitement boiling within him as he realized exactly _what_ was running through that child's veins. But that excitement turned to darkness as he realized the betrayal on his hands.

Moira had known, she'd _known_ , that that girl was his _greatest victory_ , was the _key to everything_ , and she'd not only kept the child (and even knowledge of the child) from him, but she'd let some _mundane_ raise her for all these years! Years he could've spent molding that girl to suit his needs, to suit her _true_ purpose in life! The very reason she'd survived her mother's treacherous womb and been born for!

Valentine rose from the throne, darkness and anger emerging from him in a sound so harsh it wasn't human.

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Lois sat, chilled to the bone, as the police took her statement, but there wasn't much she could tell them, it wasn't like she'd seen much, was there? Chloe had locked her in and had gone to face whatever had been downstairs-probably those damned Shadowhunters-on her own. And now look at the mess the library was in.

The brunette brought her hands to her face and cried.

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Jace stared down at Chloe, who had two runes on her, the invisibility rune and the iratze, which should help heal her concussion. If only she hadn't been so stubborn and had acknowledged his presence sooner, things wouldn't have escalated to this degree and he could've gotten her to the sanctuary of the Institute before any of this happened. But it didn't matter anymore, at least everyone knew he'd been right (like usual) and she was here, where she belonged. She obviously had some Shadowhunter blood in her somewhere in her lineage, either mother or father, and Hodge was looking into it, so that was a good thing. They'd figure this out.

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The block was still strong enough to continue working, removing her memory of what exactly had happened in the library, all trace of the memory of the symbol she'd carved, and of what she'd done with the letter opener blurring. It removed Phelan completely from her recollection, blending him and his words with the other guy, leaving it so that in her mind there'd only been one attacker-one attacker who liked to talk to himself.

And, unfortunately, when later asked about the events of that night, that was exactly how she'd remember them, just as her mother would have wanted her to.


	6. Of Mortal Cups And Voldemorts

"They've _got_ her, Magnus." Lois cuddled Chairman Meow, Magnus' tiny cat, as if it were her one sole lifeline. It had zigzag gray stripes and tuffed pink ears that made it look more like a large mouse than a small cat. "Those dirty little Shadowhunters have my Lil Cousin and we need to get her back."

Magnus eyed her silently. "How sure are you that it's the Shadowhunters that have her?"

"I just know it, in my gut." She worried her bottom lip as she curled up on Magnus' sofa, having had no where else, and no one else, to turn to. "You need to explain this better to me-the block-why they might want her-what they'll do to her-how I can get her back- _is she alive still?_ "

The warlock eyed her with a sigh. "You seem to think that the Shadowhunters are some sort of mafia. They aren't. In fact, the Children of Nephilim are appointed warriors on Earth of the Angel Raziel and control and preside over the Shadow World." He stopped when he saw that he'd lost her already. "That's the hidden supernatural part of the world that the mundanes, or the normal people, don't usually see." Seeing she got it now, he continued. "The Nephilim also preside over demons and the Downworlders-." Again, he'd lost her, and he sighed. "Vampires, werewolves, warlocks and fairies count as Downworlders." Seeing her nod he took in a deep breath. "So the Shadowhunters fight demonic forces and keep peace in the Shadow World as well as keep it hidden from the mundane world while also protecting the inhabitants of _both_ worlds."

"I prefer to see them as the tyrannical bad guys who oppress the masses, kidnap sleeping maidens from their beds and destroy said sleeping maidens' hot cousins's libraries for no other explainable reason than because they suck bananas." Lois was not going to be swayed. "I want Chloe back."

Chairman Meow, usually an easily spooked little creature, meowed loudly at Magnus.

Magnus made a face at the tiny thing. "So, you're on _her_ side?"

Lois scratched behind Chairman's ear. "What did I tell you about my effect on men?"

Magnus chuckled, finding that against his better judgement he liked this mundane. "Okay. Let me see what I can find out from the head of the Metropolis Shadowhunters Institute about Chloe and whether they actually have her or whether we need to start looking for her somewhere else."

Lois grinned and pressed a kiss to the top of Chairman Meow's head. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Chairman Meow looked in heaven as he began to purr.

Magnus Bane merely shook his head at the cat.

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Chloe took in a deep breath. "Listen here, MacStalkerson-."

" _Jace_." He laid on her bed next to her, eyebrow raised, far too comfortable as he read some book that had pictures of weapons in it.

"Excuse me?" She held onto her sheet tightly.

His lips twitched as his gaze rose from the book to her and he slammed the book shut. "My name is _Jace_ , not _MacStalkerson_."

She narrowed her eyes on him. He was far too amused right now. "Okay then. Listen _here_ , Jace, I have many basic human rights. And one of those basic human rights is to not get kidnapped. So if you would just take me back home I'd be very much obliged."

He shook his head. "No dice."

She closed her eyes. "I'm not going to tell anyone about your little... cult… _so please don't kill me_."

He froze. "You think we're going to _kill_ you?"

"How _else_ do you plan on 'dealing' with me?" She snapped as her eyes flew open.

He stared at her with incredulity. "You overheard-? Is _that_ why you've-?" He sat up immediately and threw the book behind him over his shoulder. "Damn it, woman! You've put me through hell because of _that_?"

" _You_ were put through hell?" She cried out in disbelief. " _YOU_?"

"Yes! ME!" He glared at her. "If you had just _acknowledged_ I was there-!"

"You would've killed me!"

"No I wouldn't have!"

They glared at each other, faces very close.

Someone cleared his throat.

Green and gold eyes glared in the direction of the interruption.

It was the blue eyed guy.

Chloe cleared her throat. "I want to go home."

"Gladly." The guy spoke with a clipped tone. "Once you speak to Hodge and if he says you can. I'll take you back myself."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

A muscle jumped in Jace's cheek. "Hello Alec. What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if she was awake yet. She was taking forever." Alec came in and threw some clothes onto the bed. "These should fit; Hodge wants to see her now and I doubt she wants to see him in her nightgown."

Considering that this Hodge guy was the one who could give her her freedom, Chloe turned to Jace. "Go away, I need to change."

He smirked and didn't move an inch. "You sure you don't need any help? You had a bad concussion."

She glared at him. "I can manage."

"You positive?" He asked. "Other girls would die to be in your position-me offering to put my hands on you."

"Let _me_ put _my_ hands on _you._ " She pushed Jace off of her bed and glared when he somehow managed to not fall on his ass, but landed on his feet gracefully like a cat.

He flashed her a grin. "You're such a spitfire."

A muscle ticked in Alec's cheek. "Jace, leave her alone."

"Yes, _Jace_." She glared at the blonde, annoyed. "Leave her alone."

He seemed highly amused with her as he let Alec drag him out of the room.

Only once the door close behind them did Chloe close her eyes and breathe out in relief. She looked at the black wrap-around dress that did seem around her size. She slipped out of bed and put them on, putting on the boots that she hadn't noticed were already by the side of the bed. The girl tied the dress closed tightly and went to look out of the window, tried to figure out where she was and what her chances were of just escaping. Maybe she could get to a phone and call someone, anyone, and let them know she'd been kidnapped and needed help. There had to be a landmark to let her know where she was.

"Jace, will you just give her some time to put on her-?" Alec's annoyed voice gave her enough warning to move away from the window and to fiddle with the straps of her dress, to pretend that she'd still been dressing when Jace entered the room.

The girl looked up, knowing her hair was a mess.

Jace froze when he saw her, an odd expression on his face, it reminded her slightly of the way he'd looked at her when he'd had his fever.

Chloe's throat went dry.

Alec cleared his throat loudly. "Come on then. Let's not keep Hodge waiting."

Chloe looked at Alec and nodded as she hurried towards him and ignored Jace as she moved by Alec's side. "I see what they meant about your eyes."

Alec blinked and almost tripped as he sent her a confused look. "Excuse me?"

"Magnus Bane and my cousin… They were both admiring your eyes." Chloe sent his a sideways glance. "I only just got a really good look at them now and I agree." She sent him a small smile. "You've got very pretty eyes."

Alec opened and closed his mouth before he cleared his throat and looked away.

Jace cleared his throat and moved in between them, shouldering passed as he took the lead. They walked through the corridors of what seemed like a huge building, and Chloe was reluctantly impressed with her kidnappers' place.

Finally they stopped in front of some doors and Jace pushed them open. "He's in there, waiting for you."

Chloe looked up at Jace and Alec both before she took in a deep breath and stepped forwards into the room. The doors closed behind her. She looked around her at the office and was drawn to an open gray book that was propped up on a pedestal. The girl glanced around the room quickly, didn't see anyone, and figured this "Hodge" guy must be on the way so she made her way towards the book freely, without restraint. The paper was crisp under her touch, sent shivers of something she couldn't explain through her body, and she felt numb and warm, the girl flipping through the book as she eyed the runes imprinted within.

Something burned in the back of her head as she turned the page to the very first rune and then, rapidly, began to turn each and every page, her eyes scanning the pages. She felt almost as if in a trance as she flipped the pages progressively quicker and quicker until she'd reached the halfway point of the book. There was a dull pain in her head and she felt faint, her knees giving out on her as she swayed.

A bird cawed.

Arms went around Chloe and caught her, holding and steading her, pulling her away from the book as she rode out the dizziness. "Now, now there."

Chloe whimpered, hand to her head, not exactly sure what had happened and why she was so dizzy. "What… happened?"

"I believe that it might be a side effect to using the iratze on you without you having been initiated as a Shadowhunter. That, or the iratze isn't working on you as strongly as it should and you're still suffering some effects of the concussion-in which case you should still be in bed."

Chloe tilted her head upside down to stare at the man who held her, steadied her. He had a thick scar up the right side of his face, and was a thin man with grey-streaked hair and a long, beaky nose. He wore a neat, grey, tweed suit. All in all, he didn't look like the sort of person she'd expect to meet her death by. "You must be Hodge."

He gave a slight nod of his head. "Hodge Starkweather."

"I'm Chloe Sullivan." She held her hand up for him.

He raised an eyebrow and straightened her, hesitated as he waited to see if she could really stand on her own two feet, before he finally shook her hand. "Pleasure."

Chloe's gaze went to the bird that's cawed. "So, that the Fawkes to your Dumbledore?"

"Excuse me?" He did not seem to get the Harry Potter reference and that terrified her. "That is Hugo, my faithful raven."

Who didn't get Harry Potter references?

Chloe licked her lips. "We're still on earth, right?"

"Metropolis, to be precise." He looked at her oddly. "You may truly be suffering from that concussion."

So they were on earth and they had no idea what Harry Potter was. Then again, this dude was old. Maybe he had an excuse. She frowned. Nah. No one had an excuse for knowing at least Dumbledore's name.

"Would you like to return to the infirmary?"

" _No_!" Who _knew_ what sort of meds these people were on? "I'm fine." She gave him a small smile. "So, I've been informed that you want to meet me."

He motioned towards a desk. "Would you like to take a look a something for me?"

She eyed him curiously. "Sure? Why not? Wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've been asked to do." The blonde went to the desk and noticed that there were different pictures on it, different people in it, all young and dressed similarly to Jace and Alec. She didn't see what the big deal with these pictures was until she finally saw it and sat down, hard, on the seat by the desk.

Hodge stood over her and stared at the picture. "Her real last name is Laneara. When I realized that you had Shadowhunter blood in you I knew that one of your parents were one of us, and so when I was able to trace your father's lineage easily through the mundane world I tried instantly looking for your mother but couldn't find any trace of Moira Lane. It was then that I actually found a wedding photograph of hers with your father and I didn't have to."

"Why?" Chloe whispered, her throat dry.

"Because I knew your mother, she was a friend of mine once upon a long time ago."

Chloe dropped the picture in shock as she turned to look up at Hodge Starkweather, seeing the truth on his features. " _What_?"

"Your mother was an incredible Shadowhunter, one of the best."

"Then why isn't she a Shadowhunter anymore?" Chloe stared at the picture of her mother resting her forehead on the shoulder of a young man Chloe didn't recognize, but there were two other people in the picture, a pretty redhead, and a man Chloe recognized all-too-well. It was the same man who'd come for her mother, the man who Moira had chosen over her daughter and husband. They were dressed the same way Jace and Alec were so that meant that they must be Shadowhunters as well.

"I suppose you could say that everyone in this picture with her have a part to play in why she isn't a Shadowhunter anymore," Hodge surprised Chloe by declaring. "But none more than him." He tapped the face of the man she'd met as a child. "There was a time when she was one of his most trusted and fervent followers."

Chloe looked up. " _What_?" She'd guessed the guy had been her mother's old boyfriend-but what was this about followers?

"I hereby render unconditional obedience to the Circle and its principles … I will be ready to risk my life at any time for the Circle, in order to preserve the purity of the bloodlines of Idris, and for the mortal world with whose safety we are charged." Hodge eyed Chloe seriously.

She blinked. "That's creepy. What does it have to do with anything?"

"It was the loyalty oath of the Circle of Raziel," Hodge said, sounding tired. "They were a group of Shadowhunters, led by a Shadowhunter by the name of Valentine some twenty years ago, who were dedicated to wiping out all Downworlders and returning the world to a 'purer' state."

"No idea what a "Downworlder" is, but let me tell you something, Hitler was the last guy I heard of who wanted to purify things and _he_ was a lunatic." Chloe raised an eyebrow. "This Valentine dude sounds like he's one nomination away from being Asshat of the Century." She picked up the picture of her mother and her mother's… group. "So, reading between the lines, I'm guessing that mom and _these people_ , were a part of this Circle of Raziel you were telling me about." She swallowed around the lump in her throat, unable to believe that her mother would be a part of a hate group like that, but considering Moira had left when she was so young, Chloe really didn't know her mother, did she? "And that that man was Valentine." She gulped. "And she followed him."

"Yes, he was Valentine, and yes, she followed him." Hodge sighed. "But what I'm _saying_ is that the people in that picture weren't just members of the Circle of Raziel, they were the _core_ members of the Circle."

Chloe dropped the picture again and looked up at him in shock. " _What_?"

"Consider them, plus a few others not in this picture, the founding members. Your mother was especially close to Valentine, one of his most trusted, whom he'd give some of the most dangerous and difficult assignments to because of her skill as a Shadowhunter and her faithfulness to him and his cause."

And consider Chloe KO'd.

Her mouth opened and closed, opened and closed, opened and closed, like a fish out of water. Finally she got a little squeak out. " _My mom was_ _ **Bellatrix to his Voldemort**_ _?"_

"No. _Valentine_."

She couldn't even suffer the continued ignorance of the Harry Potter references, the girl staring at Hodge Starkweather in horror. "Excuse me while I go over there and have a mini nervous breakdown." She stood up, walked to the corner of the room, and leaned against the wall as she slid to the floor. She breathed in and out, remembering meeting the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named of this world, the girl very close to a panic attack. "Mom has _horrible_ taste in men!" She gulped and covered her face. No _wonder_ Chloe had been so attracted to her stalker! She'd inherited her terrible taste in men from her mother! "Lois was right all along! It's all _Moira's_ fault!"

The girl kept mumbling that over and over again as she covered her face.

"What's Moira's fault?"

She jumped when she saw Jace kneel in front of her. Her eyes narrowed on him. "What are you doing here?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I was outside and Hodge told me to come in. Apparently you had a nervous breakdown on him and he didn't know how to handle it."

How was she suddenly _Jace's_ problem to deal with?

It wasn't as if she was his responsibility or anything!

"My mom left us to be with _**Voldemort**_!"

"My sympathies." Jace blinked in obvious confusion. "That name is horrendous to have in the family."

She stared at him in open horror.

How was it possible that _no one_ in this place knew anything about Harry Potter?

He seemed to interpret her horror for some other reason. "I'm sure he'd let you call him something else. Vol, D, Morty…" he paused. "No, Morty is horrible too."

She snorted in laughter despite it all.

Jace turned his gaze at her and smiled. "So we're going with Morty then?"

Chloe sighed and covered her face with a groan. "How is this my life?"

Jace looked very confused. "Hodge? How is a name causing so much distress here?"

"She's getting the name confused, and I'm not sure why she's having such a huge issue with it." Hodge sounded confused himself. "Jace, what I'm about to say to you must stay between us, you need to understand that it's important we keep this to ourselves for now."

"Of course." Jace nodded.

"Before Chloe's mother married her father, she was right hand to Valentine, leader of the Circle of Raziel."

Jace's eyes widened before he turned his wide golden eyes to Chloe. "How did you get _Voldemort_ from Valentine?"

She waved him off, not about to try and explain what took 7 books and 8 movies to accomplish.

Jace took in a deep breath and offered her his hand.

The girl stared at him through her fingers before she sighed and placed her hand in his, accepting his help as she got to her feet.

Jace cleared his throat as he let go of her and turned to Hodge. "I didn't realize that Valentine's group had an official name, I just thought the event was called the "Uprising"."

"As it was an embarrassment to the Clave, most record was struck from existence. There are very few who know what I have told you."

"Then how do you know so much?" Chloe wanted to know. "How do you even know the loyalty oath?"

"Loyalty oath?" Jace looked between them.

"Because, I helped write it." Hodge surprised the teens by admitting. "Chloe's mother, the Lightwood's", Jace looked stricken at the news, "we were a part of the Circle. Chloe's mother left, but the rest of us stayed until the end. Some stayed true to Valentine and fled when he did, but many of us, once we realized how extreme Valentine had become, we cooperated with the Clave for… clemency." There was an odd expression on his face but he didn't go into more detail as he cleared his throat. "But if Valentine's faithful followers are coming out of hiding, it means that he could be alive and returning as well." His gaze went to Chloe. "I need to know why one of his men attacked you last night."

Chloe tried to remember, a hand to her head as she remembered the noise and getting up to go down and investigate. "The… me...an. He wanted a Cup."

Hodge's eyes narrowed. "A _Cup_?"

Jace's eyes widened.

"He was talking to himself a lot, I think he was a little cooky." Chloe blinked as she pressed a hand to her head. "He was saying something about an antidote at first, I think, and then when he found out I was there he said he wanted some sort of Cup, thought I knew where it was. I, of course, had no freaking idea what he was talking about."

" _The Mortal Cup_." Apparently Hodge had an idea what she was talking about.

"Say what now?" She turned to him in confusion.

"The Mortal Cup," Jace answered, face impassive. "It's one of the Mortal Instruments given to Jonathan Shadowhunter by the Angel Raziel. You can only become a Shadowhunter one of two ways, by being born of a Shadowhunter, or by drinking from the Mortal Cup."

"And Valentine wants this cup?" Chloe couldn't see why the bad guy would want to make more good guys.

"Of course." Hodge didn't seem to see a problem with the logic. "With it he can build an army."

Chloe opened her mouth.

Someone knocked on the door and then it opened and the girl Shadowhunter opened. "Hodge, there's a visitor who won't leave. It's a Downworlder."

"A _Downworlder_?" Hodge frowned. "Isabelle, tell whoever it is that they will have to leave. I am busy."

"The visitor isn't here to see _you_." She raised an eyebrow. "He's here for _her_."

Chloe's eyes widened. "For _me_?"

"Popular, aren't you?" The girl smirked.

Jace frowned. "Who even knows that she's here?"

Someone walked passed Isabelle, someone in a trim matador outfit, cape and everything.

Chloe's eyes widened in relief. " _Magnus_!" She mightn't know him that well, but she knew him better than these people, and she rushed forwards to hug the High Warlock of Metropolis, surprising every single person in that room, Magnus included.

He "ooofed" and then patted her back with a chuckle. "They aren't torturing you, are they, darling? I've got orders from Lois to rain down fire and brimstone if they are."

"Is she okay?" Chloe looked up at him in worry.

"She's fine, cat-sitting Chairman Meow for me." He gazed down into her eyes. "We really need to look at that."

She knew what he was talking about, and nodded.

Jace raised an eyebrow at them. "Since when are you and the Downworlder so… close?"

Magnus raised an eyebrow back at him, visibly highly amused. "I've known Chloe for years, didn't you know, Nephilim?"

Jace clenched his fists.

Chloe glanced between them before she grabbed Magnus' hand and pulled him aside, her gaze on the Shadowhunters (who were eyeing them guardedly), her voice low. "My block, does it have to do with my mother's old boss? Or with the Mortal Cup?"

Magnus went stiff. "Why would you ask that?"

Chloe looked up at him. "Because I was attacked last night because of that damned Cup and I don't know why. They think I know where it is, and I don't, or I think I don't."

Magnus' gaze went to the Shadowhunters before he pulled her even further away from the others, his hands on her shoulders as his voice lowered. "When your mother left the Shadow World it wasn't the monsters she was hiding from, Chloe. The warlocks, wolf-men, Fair Folk and demons weren't the ones who scared her-weren't the ones who she had nightmares about. It was _them_. It was the Shadowhunters." He narrowed his eyes at her, letting her know that he knew much more than he let on. "Don't trust these people with everything."

Her stomach curled at this revelation.

"Is everything alright here?" Jace wanted to know as he drew closer.

Chloe gave him a shaky smile. "Of course." She sent Magnus a nod. "Magnus and I will be leaving now."

"I'm afraid that until we can figure out what is going on, and if Valentine is _truly_ back, then the safest place for you is here." That was Hodge. "You're of Shadowhunter blood, and as soon as we send word to the Clave that there's enough proof that Valentine mightn't be dead, that he's after the Mortal Cup, and that you might somehow know where it is, they'll want you to be close at hand. It will be best for everyone if you're here."

Chloe tensed. This sounded like he was telling her, very politely, that she was under arrest until her interrogators arrived.

Magnus Bane tensed besides her. "Of course."

She looked up at him incredulously. Why was he going along with this?

Magnus sent her down a look which told her she had to cooperate.

"But my father-!"

"I can easily cast a spell on him to confound him. The man will believe you're spending time with your cousin at her home." Magnus placed his hand on her shoulder.

The blonde gulped and decided to trust Magnus Bane so she nodded and took in a deep breath. " _Fine_."

She turned to look at the Shadowhunters in front of her, her captors.

She was not happy, she was not happy _at all_.

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"What do you _mean_ you left her there?" Lois cried out in horror.

Magnus threw himself on the sofa next to her. "If what they're saying is true, she's safest in the Institute."

Lois frowned. "What are you talking about? _How_ can you say that?"

Magnus turned towards the mundane girl. "How deep are you willing to go into these murky waters, Lois Lane?"

She gulped, realizing then and there and there was no going back to how things were. "I've never been scared to get a little dirty."

He smirked as he leaned back hard on the sofa and took in a deep breath as he stared up at the ceiling.

Chairman Meow jumped up on the sofa between them.

Lois stared at the warlock. "You can't take off her block, can you?"

The warlock stared at the ceiling, tense. "It'll wear off on its, in time, the process has already started. I was only supposed to monitor it throughout the years, to keep it stable so that it could wear off on its own when she was ready without damaging her psyche."

Lois closed her eyes. "All these years without you monitoring and stabilizing it-could it coming down have-consequences? Damaging ones?"

He nodded, blunt and remorseless in his honesty. "I'm definitely expecting some sort of psychological issue to arise once the block has come down completely."

Lois leaned her head back against the sofa with a little cry. "Damn that woman! Everything is _always_ her fault!"

"Chloe believed the block has to do with the Angel Cup, and the attack on her definitely had to do with it, but I've been through her memories when she was a child and there was nothing in them about the Mortal Instruments."

"Mortal Instruments? Angel Cup?" Lois was, as usual, completely confused as to what he was talking about.

He didn't know why he had so much patience with this mundane girl. "The Angel Raziel gave three things to Jonathan Shadowhunter, the first Shadowhunter-a Cup, a Sword, and a Mirror. The Cup and Mirror were in Idris-which is the Shadowhunter's home country and is magicked so that mundanes don't even know it exists-but that doesn't matter right now." He cleared his throat. "The Cup and Mirror were in Idris until Valentine took the Cup."

"What about the Mirror?"

"No one knows, it disappeared somewhere in time." Magnus tilted his head towards her. "But it's the Mortal Cup that Valentine wants, has always wanted, and for some reason he seems to think that Chloe knows where it is." He took in a deep breath. "Only a fool would get between Valentine and his revenge."

"Revenge?" Lois gulped.

"He suffered a great defeat, and most thought him dead after there was a great fire at his land, his bones were even found in his home." Magnus hadn't ever truly believed that Valentine was dead though, especially not by means as common as a house fire. "I suppose he's getting ready for his next attack, and the Cup is essential."

"But you said Chloe's memories have nothing to do with the Mortal Cup." Lois frowned and waited for him to nod his confirmation before she pressed forwards. "So why does this Valentine douchebag think she knows where the Mortal Cup is?"

Magnus Bane frowned as he returned his gaze to the ceiling. "Because, if rumors can be believed, _Moira_ knew where the Mortal Cup was."

Lois's throat went dry. "Her fault. _Always_ her fault!"

Chairman Meow purred, not at all reading the anxiety in the room.


	7. Alliances

"What is the news on the girl?" Valentine wanted to know, gaze on his wife's portrait.

"She is in the Metropolis Institute." Pangorn was on his knees once more. "We can't get to her unless she steps outside."

Valentine turned to face him. "Then we'll just have to make sure she does step outside, won't we?"

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Alec had no idea why he was here.

No, actually, he _did_ know why he was here, and it made it all the more humiliating.

The Shadowhunter took in a deep breath and cleared his throat, unable to believe he was doing this, sinking to this level. He knocked the lion door-knocker and waited, hoped that his information had been right, because otherwise this could get awkward.

"I WAS SLEEPING!" A voice yelled at him.

He blinked in surprise. "Uh, um." He cleared his throat. "I'm, uh, I'm Alec from the, uh, Institute? And I was-."

"Wait." Magnus Bane interrupted immediately. "Are you the Shadowhunter with the pretty blue eyes?"

Alec blinked in surprised. "I don't know if I'd call them _pretty_ …"

"It _is_ you!" Suddenly the door swung open, and Magnus Bane appeared in front of him, somehow managing to look amazing despite only wearing a kimono robe and gold eyeshadow. " _Hello_. Come in."

Alec cleared his throat as he looked around him, suddenly wished he'd told someone he was coming here, and then ventured inside. "I'm sorry for waking you up."

"No problem." Magnus smiled at him. "Anything for those pretty blue eyes."

Alec fought the blush and reminded himself why he was here. He opened his mouth.

"Mags?" A voice yawned from down the hallway as Lois Lane padded down barefoot, wearing boyshorts and a muscle shirt, no bra. "Who is it? It's an ungodly time of the morning."

"I know, I know." Magnus nodded.

Alec blinked. It was _midday_.

Lois blinked when she saw who it was, brightened immediately. "It's pretty blue eyes!"

"Exactly." Magnus grinned.

Alec felt less and less sure as he looked from one and the other. Demons and monsters he could handle, and yet facing these two alone kinda terrified him.

The Shadowhunter cleared his throat and steeled himself, glad that his info had been right and the mundane girl had moved in (and taken Moira Lane's things) to the warlock's place, it meant that she was being looked after (Valentine couldn't use her against Chloe - and the Clave didn't have to bother protecting her themselves) and he didn't have to hunt her down to talk to her about this situation. "It's about Chloe."

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Chloe tapped her fingers against the desk.

She moved her foot.

She put up the volume of the music that was already blaring in her earphones.

She closed her eyes.

Finally a growl escaped her lips as she yanked the earphones out of her ears and and turned to face the boy who stretched out languidly on her bed. "Why are you _always_ so at home on my bed?"

Jace brought a finger to his mouth in a shushing motion. "I'm studying."

Her mouth fell open in shock. He had _not_ just done that!

The blonde breathed in, breathed out, and then decided that no amount of breathing techniques _didn't_ make her _not_ want to hurt Jace Wayland, so she gave up on the attempt all-together. She twirled around on her chair, just to give herself something to do, but that just made her dizzy, and in the end she was just annoyed and dizzy, and that just made her extra annoyed.

"Don't you have a room of your own?"

He completely ignored her this time, turning the page.

Chloe glared at the guy who had been her shadow ever since she'd become an unwilling guest at the Institute. She didn't leave this room, she didn't want to. Alec didn't really like her, Isabelle was indifferent, and Hodge probably saw her as yet another way to redeem himself in the eyes of the Clave. All in all, it didn't make her want to hang out with these people, and mostly they seemed happy to give her the space she obviously desired. And she said "mostly" because no one told Church, the cat, where to go, and apparently that rule applied to Jace Wayland as well, because he came and went with as much stalkery as he had before.

Only this time he actually interacted with her.

"Shouldn't you be out doing something Shadowhuntery?"

"I am." He waved the book. " _Studying_."

She hadn't thought he was being truthful when he'd said he was studying. That caught her reluctant interest as the blonde stood and made her way to the bed. She hesitated for a second, gaze on the book. She could feel his golden orbs raise from the text and rest on her but she ignored the feeling, breathed in, and laid down next to him on the bed so she could peek at the text as well, realizing that it was a rune manual. "I remember that one. It's the iratze, right?" She smiled. "I drew it on you with the stele that night you collapsed on my tiles."

He blinked and angled his head towards her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

She tilted her face to his, not surprised that he didn't remember considering that he'd been pretty feverish. He'd probably thought the whole thing had been a dream. "You know, the last time you dragged yourself all beaten and bruised into my room and decided you had nothing smarter to do than to collapse unconscious on it?" She raised an eyebrow at him mockingly. "Oh come _on_ genius. How do you _think_ you woke up halfway better the next morning? I had to put at least ten iratze on you the night before, and let me tell you, you were _out_ of it." She smirked at him, seeing on his face just how much it horrified him that he didn't know what she was talking about, and that he believed her because a part of him _must_ have suspected that he couldn't have been the one to put the Marks himself.

Jace suddenly smirked. "Are you telling me you accosted me while I was vulnerable?"

Chloe snorted. "If anyone did accosting that night, it was _you_."

Jace's smirk disappeared. "What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Nothing." She reached out to turn the page. "What other runes are there? I should probably learn some in case I need to save your butt again or-."

Jace reached out and grabbed her wrist lightning fast. " _What do you mean_?"

Chloe licked her lips as she looked up at him at the harshness in his voice. "Don't get the wrong idea, Shadowhunter, you didn't rape or force me or anything unpleasant like that." She tried to pull her hand free but he kept her tightly gripped. "What's wrong with-."

Jace stared at her oddly. "Are you saying that whatever I did to you was well received then?"

She hated herself for the blush she could feel on her cheeks. "I won't be traumatized by it. Let's just leave it at that."

He stared at her before his lips curled in a small smile. "I'll have you know I'm known as quite the ladies'-."

She shifted her body so she could cover his mouth with her free hand. "No more ego-filled crap, please." She then cried out and laughed in horrified amusement as she pulled her hand away, flinging said hand around as if it'd been burnt. "Did you just _lick_ me?"

He smirked down at her and made a point to trap her palm and lick it provokingly.

She made the sound of a child who might be crying out in horror from an onslaught of a severe cooties attack, and yet it the sound was tinged with laughter, true laughter, and even she had to admit that since she'd come to stay at the Institute she hadn't really laughed.

Jace's golden eyes twinkled in devilish amusement at her.

Chloe scrunched up her nose at him.

His amusement grew, and the specks of amber in his golden eyes mesmerized her. "You like my eyes, don't you?"

She scoffed. "You like the sound of your own voice, don't you?"

"Don't feel self-conscious about it." He grinned brightly, somehow managing to shift them so that he half leaned over her, the girl on her back and resting with her weight on her elbows. "I've been told I have captivating eyes."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure, deep down inside, you're a puddle of insecurities, aren't you?"

"Sure, of course I am." He leaned in closer, shifting his body so that it rested more fully over hers, his eyes darkening, his voice lowering as his face drew closer. "Wanna be the only one I allow to give me a hug and tell me it'll all be better some day?"

Chloe's heart raced ridiculously fast in her chest as she stared up into his stupidly captivating eyes, her throat dry. "I like girls."

"I'll bare that in mind and make sure to keep you away from Isabelle." His gaze lowered to her lips.

She would've sputtered at that, was about to announce that she was joking, couldn't he _tell_ she was joking, when suddenly Jace swooped down and kissed her deeply. He didn't ease her into the kiss, he didn't seem the type to ease her into anything. No, one hand was palm-down on the bed to sustain his weight as the other wrapped around her and pulled her to him, his mouth searing hers like uncontainable fire.

Chloe whimpered as she arched into his touch, her hands going to his face before trailing up to sink into his silky golden locks. She cried into his mouth, her body electrified as she pulled herself closer to him, desperate need filling her body.

A rational part of the girl tried to remind her that this guy was an arrogant member of the group who were keeping her against her will so she could be interrogated, that this was the same guy who'd stalked her long before that, and yet it didn't matter. All that mattered was his obvious hunger, his need, his overwhelming desire... and its twin within her. Her mind tried to tell her that rationally he was everything wrong for her, and yet something else inside of her told her he was perfection.

A part of her wondered suddenly if her mother had been in love with Valentine, if this was why she'd been able to abandon her husband and child so easily for him and his cause. Chloe tried placing herself in her mother's place, which was surprisingly easy considering that Jace had similar coloring to Valentine's except for the eyes. Was _this_ what had made her mother so weak?

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and the two teens pulled apart rapidly, each on opposite sides of the bed, eyeing the other.

Jace's eyes were molten gold, hungrier than ever before he shut off all emotion in his face, cleared his throat, and went to see who was at the door.

She watched him go with trepidation.

Something within Chloe had responded so instinctively to that look of hunger that it terrified her.

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"The Clave don't believe that the block you placed on her mind can't be removed and isn't related to the Mortal Cup." Alec licked his lips."They suspect that you might be in league with Valentine, if he truly is rising, and that you're trying to stall on his behalf."

Magnus snorted. "I fought in the Uprising, _against_ Valentine. Many of you Shadowhunters can't say the same."

Alec shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

"And how could the Clave have decided all of this if they haven't even arrived yet?" Lois wanted to know.

"They aren't going to come as yet." Alec knew he shouldn't be telling outsiders, a Downworlder and a mundane, this. "They just sent word to Hodge that she needs to be taken to the Silent City to see the Silent Brothers."

"I'm guessing the Silent Brothers aren't an emo grunge band." Lois looked between them.

Alec was unable to understand how the mundane came up with these odd things of hers.

Magnus sneered, apparently used to the mundane's oddness by now. "The Clave believes that the Silent Brothers can undo my block. That's insulting. Comical, but insulting."

Lois hugged a pillow shaped like a lollipop to her chest. "How will this effect things, Mags?"

Magnus frowned darkly at her. "I now expect those issues to be graver than anticipated."

Lois went pale and shot out of the sofa unexpectedly, throwing herself at Alec as she grabbed the shocked Shadowhunter's hands. "You've got to stop them! You've got to tell them they can't do this! They're going to hurt her!"

"Hurt?" Alec didn't particularly _like_ Chloe much, but he didn't want her to get hurt. "The Silent Brothers wouldn't-."

"The block is fragile, okay?" Lois gripped his hands tightly, the mundane's eyes wide in terror. "If they mess with it, once it comes down, she'll go even more coocoo for coco puffs than she'd be if it came down naturally."

Alec hadn't understood a word that had come out of her mouth, but he'd gotten the gist of the urgency. He turned to Magnus in surprised reproach. "What you did to the girl will harm her?" Again, he didn't like Chloe, was jealous as hell of the way Jace was with her, but that didn't mean he wanted her to get hurt.

"It wouldn't have had these effects if certain people had done what they were supposed to, and others hadn't interfered." Magnus eyed him pointedly before he took in a deep breath. "No use crying over spilt milk. What's done is done and what's left to do is to deal with the repercussions, especially once the Silent Brothers are done with her." His gaze went to Lois. "Hodge would've sent them to the Silent City the moment he received the message from the Clave. Pretty Blue Eyes can do nothing to stop what will happen to your cousin, or the effects it will have on her psychologically."

Lois let go of Alec, visibly stricken as she stumbled back onto the sofa.

Alec realized what Magnus was saying, and he felt a vicious sense of relief, knowing that there was no way Jace would have the hots for a crazy girl. And yet that relief turned into guilt when he saw the destruction on the mundane's face. "I'm sorry." And he truly was.

Lois merely nodded faintly, staring ahead of her, apparently catatonic.

A tiny cat jumped onto the female and rubbed its head against her in an obvious effort to comfort her.

"Ah, he has a conscience," Magnus teased soft enough for only Alec to be able to hear. "Not just a raging libido."

Alec looked up at him, eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The warlock didn't answer, but his smile was too knowing for Alec's comfort.

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"Magnus said that the block couldn't be removed and that it was best to just leave it alone to fall on its own."

"Magnus Bane could have his own, self-serving reasons for wanting your memories to remain blocked for however long he wants them to remain that way."

Chloe scoffed as she gazed at the entrance of the crypt, completely wary with this plan considering they were in the middle of a cemetery. That never ended well, in her experience. She'd had too many misadventures in cemeteries, and talking about said misadventures, Chloe knew that Magnus had magicked her father, but he hadn't magicked her friends, and she knew that by now they had to be asking questions about her disappearing act and the fact that she wasn't contacting them. "As if _you lot_ don't have self-serving reasons for wanting them _unblocked_."

Jace placed his hands on his lean hips as he turned his golden eyes on her, eyebrow raised. "You say 'you lot' as if you're not one of us."

"That's because I'm _not_ one of you, genius." She rolled her eyes, unable to understand why she was attracted to this guy.

Jace frowned. "You're a Shadowhunter, you _are_ one of us."

She scoffed and raised her arms. "Do you _see_ runes tattooed on me? The Enkeli? The Voyance? How about any other rune _needed_ by a Shadowhunter?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "No? Right." She lowered her arms. " _Not_ a Shadowhunter."

He frowned darker, apparently disturbed by her declaration. "You're the daughter of a Shadowhunter, you have it in your blood. You _are_ a Shadowhunter."

"What happened to _Mundie_?" She was being difficult and she knew it.

"You're not a Mundane and you never will be, even if you have assimilated yourself incredibly well into their world and can pass for one of them." His gaze went to the grounds of the cemetery. "But you can't hide from what's in your veins."

She gulped. That was what she was afraid of. She wanted to think she was nothing like the mother who abandoned her, and yet as she admired Jayce in the sunlight, admired _the wrong guy for her_ , well, she couldn't help but agree with him. She couldn't hide what was in her veins, in her DNA. Bad choices. She was made up of _very_ bad choices.

Jace licked his lips.

Her gaze followed the action before she stopped herself and took in a deep breath as she forced herself to look away. "Why are you so on edge?"

"I'm not on edge."

"Yes, you are."

He sent her an annoyed look before he returned to gazing around them. "What do you know about the Silent Brothers?"

She fixed him with a raised eyebrow. "Well, I hear it's the most killer death metal rock band out there."

He blinked in confusion and turned to look at her oddly. "What?"

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from bursting out in laughter at his utterly perplexed expression. "Sex symbols, the whole lot of them. Draco Malfoy, the guitarist, with his platinum blonde locks, Blaise Zabini at the electric violin with his sinfully sweet chocolate skin, Tom Riddle - the face of the band and drummer, and Severus Snape with his _voice_." She could see that she had him completely befuddled. "And there's their number one hit: A Hundred Points From Gryffindor."

" _No_." Jace shook his head. "Have you been talking to Isabelle? I think she was messing with you."

The only one who was messing with someone was _her_ , but she let it slide without correction, for now.

Jace cleared his throat. "The Silent Brothers aren't _musicians_ , far from it, they can't even _speak_."

All laughter left Chloe at that. "What do you mean they can't speak? How will we-?"

"Telepathy." Jace took in a deep breath, visibly disturbed by these Silent Brothers himself. "It's one of their abilities. They're a powerful group of male Shadowhunters who serve as archivists and medics, and to strengthen their minds they have taken upon themselves the most power of runes… Runes which has left them… highly disfigured."

She gulped loudly. "I don't want to do this anymore."

Not that she'd wanted to do this in the first place.

Jace turned to her. "Despite what they may appear, they are good men."

"I don't _care_." She glared at him. "Magnus said the block should stay, and I don't trust any freaky guys with Jedi Mind tricks to play with my head! I don't want to do this!"

Jace frowned as he stared at her. "You are scared."

"Of course I'm scared!" She snapped at him.

Jace's face darkened. "You do not trust me to protect you?"

" _Why_ would I trust you?" Her voice was a snarl. "I have no reason _at all_ to trust you!"

Jace flinched as if hit before he nodded and looked away as he gulped. "You are right. You have no reason to trust any of us."

"Damn straight I don't." She hugged herself.

"You have much so lose and we do not." He seemed to be speaking to himself. "What if-what if I gave you something you could hold over me? A secret that no one knows, not even Alec?"

Chloe frowned as she turned to look at him curiously. "Why would you tell me something like that?"

"To prove that you can trust me, and that I trust you."

She frowned harder. " _Why_ would you trust me? Just because you stalked me doesn't mean you know me well enough to trust me with your deepest, darkest secrets you know. I could be a total flake and post it all over my facebook wall."

He seemed both amused and confused at her. "Woman, you're never happy, are you?"

Chloe glared at him. "You're not taking this seriously!"

"I know the man who tried to kidnap you, I recognized him as one of the men who killed my father when I was a child." Jace's face went serious, he wasn't joking anymore. "I haven't told anyone the identity of the person, just that it was one of Valentine's men, because if Hodge knew that it was one of the men who killed my father…" he took in a deep breath. "I now know who ordered my father's death all those years ago." His eyes went dark, vicious. "Valentine."

Chloe stared up at the young Shadowhunter as the pieces fell into place around her. "You're planning on killing him… Valentine, I mean… For what he did to your father."

Jace nodded curtly. "I was ten when it happened, we lived in a manor house out in the country since my father believed it was safer from people that way. I heard that man, and others, coming up the drive and I went to tell my father who told me to hide, and I obeyed him without question. I went and hid under the stairs and saw that man and his comrades come, heard them say that they were working under the orders of their master, and then they cut my father's throat. His blood ran across the floor and soaked my shoes but I didn't move because he'd told me to."

He'd delivered that whole emotional speech with such stoic emotionless one might think he didn't care, but his eyes, they were gleaming with all the emotion his voice lacked.

Chloe licked her lips, suddenly unable to see him like she had before and doubting she ever would again. "Hodge wouldn't let you go after Valentine, so that's why you're keeping what you know secret."

He gave a swift nod, not looking at her.

"You know it's probably suicidal to go after Valentine, right?" She eyed him curiously.

He snorted. "You haven't seen me in battle." His lips suddenly curled and his expression went from dark to flirtatious. "I've been told I'm quite the sight to behold."

"I'm sure you are, Romeo." She patted his cheek patronizingly. "I'm sure you'll dazzle Valentine with your masculine beauty right before you gut him."

Jace grinned brightly. "Well, whatever works."

Chloe chuckled, unable to believe that the sombre mood had passed that quickly. She chanced it returning though as she licked her lips. "So, tell me about your dad."

"His name was Michael, and he was nothing like your father. _Your_ dad could have used some fathering from _mine_." Jace shook his head in disapproval.

Chloe slapped Jace's arm. "Don't badmouth my dad!"

"He leaves you alone constantly." Jace appeared unrepentant. "He's lax even for a _mundie_."

"We're not talking about my dad, we were talking about yours." She glared at him. "Start."

Jace took in a deep breath and glanced away as he played with the ring he'd only started to wear recently (that she'd seen at least), a W with some sort of design on it. "He died when I was very young, as you already know, but he expected me to be well-rounded educationally. I learnt to play the piano from a very young age-."

"You know how to play the piano?" Her eyes widened.

He paused. "You like the piano? I'll play for you sometime." He then continued. "He also indulged me though and taught me everything a young boy could ever want to know - weapons training, demonology, arcane lore and ancient languages were only some of the things I learnt under his tutelage. If there was anything I wanted he gave it to me, horses, weapons, books…" there was a pause. "He even gifted me a hunting falcon."

"Sounds… _nice_." She wondered what it might've been like to grow up knowing about her Shadowhunter heritage and realized she was somewhat jealous of Jace. "What do you miss most about him?"

Jace shrugged. "Knowing he was there-that I had a father-that I belonged."

Chloe was shocked that he'd answered so honestly. It made her want to respond in kind. "I miss how my mother would pull me up into her lap and hold me against her heartbeat and make me feel like I was the only thing that mattered to her."

Jace eyed her. "Chloe, have you not asked yourself why Valentine is searching for the Mortal Cup?"

"Not really." The blonde shook her head. "Hodge seems to think it makes sense that the bad guy wants a magic cup that makes good guys, and he knows more about this then I do so I'm just going with the flow."

Jace shot her a look before he tried again. "What I meant to say is: Hodge insinuated that your mother either took the Cup when she left the Circle of Raziel, or knew who took the Mortal Cup from Valentine." He licked his lips. "So why didn't she give him the Mortal Cup when she went back to him all those years ago? Or at least told him its location?"

Chloe's eyes widened in shock, unable to believe she hadn't asked herself this question. "Maybe I'm not the only one with a block on my mind."

"Maybe the antidote you remember the man talking to himself about… maybe it's an antidote to the _block_." Jace stared at her.

Chloe looked up at him, seeing the truth in his eyes. "You really think that, don't you? You don't believe Magnus Bane when he says this could hurt me."

Jace nodded solemnly.

For the first time since this had all begun, true doubt began to creep within the recesses of Chloe's mind.


	8. Interrogation By The Silent Council

The only thing she'd learnt so far while traveling through the Silent City, filled with bones and ashes of dead Shadowhunters, was that the Shadowhunter motto was: 'The descent into Hell is easy.'

That wasn't reassuring. If anything it was hella foreboding.

Chloe had done her best to keep an open mind (though not _too_ open given the whole telepathy thing) and she'd at least had some sort of warning from Jace's description when she'd met Brother Jeremiah - who wore a long cloak, a hood, whose mouth was sworn shut and who had no eyes, merely sunken-in eye sockets.

She'd traveled through a hidden passage into the earth and under the cemetery and finally made it to where a row of Silent Brothers awaited her.

 _ **We have arrived.**_ Brother Jeremiah motioned her forwards. _**Stand before the Council**_ **.**

She glanced at Jace but he blinked, clearly confused, so the Silent Brother must have only spoken to _her_ in _her_ head, and she was never going to get this telepathy thing down pat because it was confusing and creepy.

 _ **The Council greets you, Chloe Sullivan**_ **.** The Council spoke as one voice, like a crashing wave upon the sand on a stormy day.

The sound startled her, and that was that she'd finally gotten used to having Brother Jeremiah's voice in her head.

"I greet the Council back." She gave an awkward wave as she stared into their disfigured faces, refusing to back down. "So, how are we going to do this? Are the lights gonna be dimmed for effect? Will there be wine to loosen us up? A little music to help set the mood?" And there she went, rambling nervously.

_**State your name for the Council** _ **.**

But… they'd just greeted her… by name.

Obviously this was part of the whole Vulcan Mind-Meld Ritual though so she fought pointing out how useless this whole thing was so far. "Am I supposed to do this mentally-?"

_**State your name for the Council** _ **.**

Wow. Lots of help there guys.

Chloe licked her lips. "Chloe Sullivan."

_**Who are you** _ **?**

_Really_? That was how this was gonna go?

"That's a really hard question to go with, don't you think?" And now she was just being difficult. "We could go with my name, but you already know that. We could go with who my parents are: Moira Laneara and Gabriel Sullivan. Or we could go with the more existential debate that that sort of question opens up. Who am I? Where am I headed? What do I want in life?" She opened her mouth to say more but suddenly her mind seemed to snap in on itself, like a rubber band, and she reeled soundlessly into a whirlwind of images cast against the insides of her closed eyelids.

...

_Moira Sullivan sat by the window, a box in her hand, her eyes watery. The lid was open, words engraved on the top._

_Entreat me not to leave thee,_ _Or return from following after thee—for whither thou goest, I will go,_ _And where thou lodgest, I will lodge._ _Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God._ _Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried._ _The Angel do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me._

_Eight year old Chloe watched her mother curiously, having seen the woman take out that box whenever she thought no one was looking. Chloe wanted to ask her mother about the box, but the child knew better, could see the sadness in her mother's eyes as she pulled out a lock of red hair… The picture… Saw her trail her fingers over the tattoo she usually kept hidden with her leather bracelet before she put everything away with a whispered: "Be strong,_ _**be safe** _ _."_

_Moira put back on her bracelet and flipped the cover closed, the initials J.F. on the top. The woman went to put the box away._

_Chloe turned and pressed her back against the wall. She waited to hear her mother return to the living room from hiding the box before she ventured out with a smile on her face. "I've decided that I'm going to save up my allowance and sponsor one of those kids they show on tv-in the commercials."_

_"You don't say." Moira Sullivan smiled tenderly at her daughter._

_"I do." Eight year old Chloe Sullivan shook her head of long, golden ringlets, cheeky smile on place. "Not everyone is as happy a person as I am you know."_

_..._

Chloe cried out as her head began to hurt, her vision blurring.

...

_"The block looks like it's holding quite nicely, as to be expected." Magnus stared into Chloe's eyes, the girl now younger, appearing to be three years old. He gazed up at a worried Moira. "Everything's fine. I think you imagined it."_

_"Are you sure?" Moira moved to caress her daughter's head. "Magnus, I'm telling you, it was as if she-."_

_"Moira, the block is in place." His voice was reassuring. "It's strong and stable. She's fine."_

_Moira closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so worried about her all the time. If anything should ever happen to her I don't know what I'd do."_

…

There was a loud wailing sound, almost like a police siren, and when the pain forced her eyes open, Chloe realized in disorientation that the sound was her screaming. Somehow she'd collapsed during this mind-probe, the girl lying on the marble in the fetal position, crying tears of blood, and blood coming out of her ears as well, a horrible ringing sound echoing everywhere and making her feel slightly insane.

Jace remained where he was, unmoving and yet was tense around the mouth and his hands clenched at his sides.

 _ **The block inside your mind is stronger than we had anticipated. The Downworlder was right, we cannot remove it without risking tearing your mind apart, or killing you**_.

Chloe groaned as she feebly got to her feet and wiped at her blood, her voice hoarse from the screaming. "So I just went through that for _nothing_?"

Silence met her demand.

Brother Jeremiah inclined his head towards Jace before the Brothers all stood and left, creepy and useless. Only Brother Jeremiah remained behind, he _did_ have to lead them back out after all.

Once the other brothers left, Jace didn't seem able to hold himself back anymore and hurried over to her, cupping her face in his hands and examining her, wiping at her bloody tear streaks with his thumbs. "Are you still in pain?"

"I'm not talking to you." She was too tired and sore to be really angry right now, but she would be later. "I _told_ you Magnus said this would be a waste of time and that it would hurt me. I _told_ you-!"

Jace wiped at the blood that had dripped from her ears.

Chloe tried to snap at him and tried to get a rise out of him, to have him share in her horrible mood, but Jace was too busy trying to clean her up.

Finally he seemed to deem her presentable as he looked up at her greens once more. "Come on, once Brother Jeremiah shows us out of here I'm buying you lunch."

**-V-V-V-V-V-**

Jace had thought up taking Chloe to Taki both as a way to get her to have some of the best food in Metropolis, and as a way to finally get Chloe talking to Alec and Isabelle - which was why he'd called them and told them to come over for lunch as well. His conversation with the girl while waiting for Brother Jeremiah had opened his eyes. Just because the Institute and the Lightwoods were the closest thing to home and family to _him_ didn't mean _she_ felt the same way. For some reason the girl still saw herself as a mundane and not a Shadowhunter and he was just going to have to change that.

Isabelle appeared and the conversation was awkward, especially with Izzy gawking at Chloe and automatically asking why she looked liked death warmed over. His adopted sister needed more girl friends, needed refinement. Jace had seen Chloe get along splendidly with her mundane cousin so he was sure the fault for the awkwardness lay with Isabelle.

And then things got worse when Alec arrived, because he hadn't arrived alone, he'd _brought the mundane cousin with him_.

Jace couldn't believe his eyes when he'd seen his adopted brother and the brunette walking in together.

Just what the Angel was going _on_?

Jace was trying to bring Chloe more into the Shadowhunter world and Alec brings in her mundane cousin to remind her of her mundane past? What the hell?

Chloe's eyes widened and for the first time in a while Jace had seen her light up as she got up from the booth and raced towards her cousin, who met her halfway, the two girls hugging each other tightly.

Isabelle rolled her eyes at the display and yet Jace could see the slight resentment in her actions. She wasn't used to hanging out with girls or having them for friends.

Chloe had then _hugged Alec_ _a_ nd then given the flabbergasted boy a _kiss on the cheek_ for bringing her cousin.

Jace's whole day had been officially ruined.

"No, Downworlders are different because they were born here and they have souls." Isabelle seemed to have finally found something she could talk about with the girls. "Demons on the other hand come from other worlds, which only they can travel to, and they have no souls. They're like parasites, and they jump from one world to the next and consume all and give nothing back. It's why it's okay to kill demons."

"So there's tons of other worlds that only demons can travel to? That sucks." Lois made a face, her hand still on her cousin's although her gaze was on Isabelle. "Why do _they_ get to have all of the fun?"

"Bad guys always do." Chloe shrugged.

"So true." Lois turned to her cousin. "They're always cuter and have the best weapons and vehicles too."

"Preach it." Chloe high-fived her cousin.

Lois grinned brightly and made the high-five count.

Isabelle gazed between them, clearly fascinated by their relationship.

Alec, on the other hand, seemed somewhat intimidated, before he cleared his throat and leaned forwards. "How did it go?"

Jace's eyebrows rose at the fact that Alec was asking such a sensitive question in front of the mundane. And then he saw the facade slip from Lois' features, the carefully constructed coolness drop away to reveal the worry there, and he realized that she'd known all along. _Alec_ must've told her. He must've been with the mundane when Jace had called him to come over, and that was why she was here.

But why would Alec tell the mundane these things?

"Magnus was right." Chloe gave a small smile at Alec, seeming much warmer towards him ever since he'd brought Lois to the diner. "The Silent Brothers were no match for his block."

"Obviously." Lois rolled her eyes. "When you sound like a lame boy band..."

Chloe's eyes widened. "You thought that too?"

Lois, despite her obvious worry, gave a bark of laughter. "You too?"

The cousins shared evil looks of amusement.

The Shadowhunters present shared confused looks, obviously excluded and a little uncomfortable.

Jace was annoyed. He was _very_ annoyed, especially with Alec. This was all _his_ fault.

This was supposed to help Chloe bond with the Shadowhunters, _not_ remind her how well she fit in with the mundies and make her miss her cousin more than she already had been!

"So, what now?" Isabelle leaned back and sipped her smoothie. "We're back to square one, aren't we?"

"We are." Jace nodded with a growl.

She was talking about the Mortal Cup, he was talking about getting Chloe onto Team Shadowhunter.

Chloe opened her mouth to talk when suddenly blood began to drip down her right nostril and the girl cried out as she grabbed tissue paper and brought it to her nose to stop the blood's flow. "Is there a bathroom here?"

"Sure." Isabelle nodded. "I'll take you."

"I'll come with." Lois sent Alec a steely look as she followed the others out.

Jace watched them go, eyes narrowed.

What if he'd been wrong?

What if the Silent Brothers trying to bring down the block _had_ hurt her?

He clenched his fists.

Needing to let out his frustration _somehow_ , he turned to Alec. "What are you doing?"

Alec straightened in his seat. "What do you mean?"

"Why would you bring the mundie cousin over?" Jace frowned, unable to understand why Alec, of all people, was hanging out with Lois. It made no sense. It almost felt like Alec was up to something. "Why would you tell her about what was going on? You know it's against the rules!"

Alex stiffened before he shifted and cleared his throat. "You know that she already knows almost everything anyway, she's the exception to the mundie rule. Anyway, you wanted Chloe more involved, right?" He licked his lips. "Not that I've seen much of her considering she doesn't leave her room and you end up spending all your time _locked up in there with her_..." he paused and took in a deep breath before continuing. "But she's been much more animated in this short amount of time that she's spent here with her cousin here than she has during her whole stay in the Institute."

Jace frowned. "What are you getting at?"

"I'm just saying that since the cousin knows about us there's no reason she can't come visit Chloe at the Institute and spend time with her there." Alec used his fork to push his food back and forth on his plate. "Lois is really interested in all things Shadowhunter and I see her wanting to see more of the Institute, learn more of the history, and drag Chloe along for the ride."

Jace leaned back hard at that realization that Alec was right. There could be an upside to having the cousin around, but Jace had gotten used to having the blonde to himself and he had to admit (even if only to himself) that a part of the reason he was hesitating was out of pure jealousy of the relationship those girls shared. He didn't understand it or his feelings towards it. He should want to do anything to tie Chloe to the Shadowhunter world for the Clave, and yet his only reason for wanting to forge a connection between her and his world was to help connect her _with him_.

He'd never felt such possessiveness before in his life and he didn't know if he liked it. On one hand it was exhilarating, on the other hand it disturbed him greatly how much this girl affected him. he knew he was acting out of the norm. He'd never been like this with any other female who'd caught his eyes, but with this girl it was different.

Everything had been different from the moment she'd fallen into his arms and her wide greens had risen to his golden, sending a jolt of wildfire through his veins.

"You okay, Alec?" Isabelle's voice heralded the girls' return. "You look a little green."

"I'm fine." Alec looked somewhat uncomfortable though, gaze on Jace.

Isabelle stared between them as she slid in and grabbed her fruit smoothie. "If you say so."

Chloe must've sensed Jace's pensive gaze on her as she and her cousin sat down, because she stopped in mid-conversation and turned to face him, eyebrow raised. "Do I have something on my face?"

He didn't answer her, merely raised his gaze to meet the cousin's. "You're not going to give up, are you? You've fully established yourself at Magnus Bane's and are going to become a fixture in the Shadow World."

Lois's expression was defiant. "You got a problem with that?"

He took in a deep breath and leaned back hard. "I suppose we'll just have to allow you to start visiting Chloe at the Institute, since you know about the Shadow World and are, for some inexplicable reason, a part of it despite being a mundane."

Chloe froze.

So did Lois, her defiance melting into uncertainty. "You saying I'm getting a Hall Pass?"

He had no idea what she was saying. "If you are asking me if you'll be allowed to visit at the Institute whenever you like-I'll talk to Hodge to make sure everything is official but if it's within reasonable visiting hours I don't see why not."

Lois grinned brightly.

Chloe was silent before she suddenly threw herself at Jace, surprising the Shadowhunter into a slight twitch of shock, as the girl hugged him tightly. " _Thank you_!" She pressed a kiss to his cheek and held him close. " _Thank you_!"

He gulped, eyes wide, not sure how it was that they'd made out before and yet _this_ seemed so much more intimate to him. "Think nothing of it." He cleared his throat again, realizing he might have to thank Alec once they were alone for helping him make the best decision of his life.

Chloe pulled away and turned to Lois, grinning brightly. "You can visit!"

"I know! Isn't this awesome?" Lois chuckled. "You'll never get rid of me now!"

Jace's smile vanished.

Then again, maybe he'd just made a terrible mistake.

**-V-V-V-V-V-**

"So Magnus explained the whole Angel Raziel being summoned by Jonathan Shadowhunter and then bleeding into the Angel Cup and that's how the first Shadowhunter was created." Apparently Lois was way more up to date than Chloe when it came to Shadowhunter lore, the brunette gazing at the different things on display in the archives. "And I get the whole - you need the Cup, thing - but shouldn't you guys still be okay and grow your ranks by, you know, having sex?"

Chloe snickered. Of course Lois would ask blunt, sexual questions.

"Women aren't only breeding tools, you know." Isabelle raised an eyebrow. "We're warriors in our own right."

Lois nodded. "So they're too busy battling demons to have kids. Gotcha."

Isabelle narrowed her eyes. "That is not what I meant. My mother has three children and yet she is still active in the Clave and doing her duties."

"You have another sibling?" Chloe was surprised to hear that.

"A little brother, Max. He's with my mother and father in Idris." Isabelle didn't seem bothered with the fact that most of her family were gone for so long and so far away.

Alec stared out of a window and seemed to be ignoring them.

Chloe eyed the young Shadowhunter and wondered if she read his resentment correctly or if she was completely off-base when it came to him. She hadn't spent enough time with him, but sometimes when he'd look at Jace, or the way his voice would change or his features would soften when he spoke to his fighting partner, well, she had a suspicion as to why he kept himself apart the way he did. It made her feel extremely sad for him, because it was obvious that Jace didn't even _notice_ that something was bothering Alec, the blonde instead being his stalkery self with _her_.

She turned her gaze, her greens on Jace, and found him watching her, just like she'd known she'd find him. It was almost a given, that he'd be watching her, like it was a fact. It was flattering as hell, but now, with this suspicion about Alec, she began to feel a little guilty, not that any of this was her fault.

"Oh, so they're good enough _not_ to kill because they have souls, but they're not good enough to mix with?" Lois' voice was steel.

"At least a mundane can be turned into a Shadowhunter, but a Downworlder can't, and they can't be marked with a rune either." Isabelle raised an eyebrow. "I'm not saying anything-I've dated my fair share of Downworlders-but it's not like Shadowhunters are the only ones who look down on them, they don't like us much either."

"So what's the deal with the Accord then if you guys all secretly hate each other?" Lois wanted to know, making up her face. "Isn't that you guys all being hypocritical? Like mean girls smiling at each other's faces and then mumbling about how much weight the other has put on behind their backs!?"

Jace let out a deep sigh, as if he were having to put up with the burdens of the world.

At least Alec had finally turned away from the window and was eyeing his sister and Lois with mild interest.

Jace's golden gaze turned to Chloe and he let out another sigh as he raised an eyebrow as if blaming this all on her and telling her to do something before things got physical between the two dark haired beauties.

A jolt of pain rocked Chloe's head, similar to when she'd been in the presence of the Silent Brothers, and she hissed as she brought her hand to her head rapidly.

...

_He stalked the room back and forth, back and forth, like a caged lion. His black eyes were narrowed, his white-blonde hair slicked back. His movements were agitated and precise as he kept going to the testing tube to wait for the results, to see if anything had changed, and when he saw that nothing had he growled and moved away._

_His gaze rose to the stairs that led to a door that barred from the inside, a door only he had the key to. He took in a deep breath before he turned and went back to the test tube and gazed, waiting for results. Nothing. Another failure._

_He cursed and moved to a pedestal, where the Mortal Cup stood, the man snapping it up and staring at it, at the centerpiece to his plan, to_ _**everything.** _

**-V-V-V-V-V-**

"And then they had the nerve to tell me that everything was _fine_!" Lois hugged the cushion to her chest. "She _fainted_ , Magnus! She screamed, fainted, and spasmed a little for good measure while bleeding from her eyes and ears!" She closed her eyes. "One of those creepy Silent Brothers came, apparently they're the Shadowhunter equivalent of medics, and he said that it was just backlash of their having messed with the block and all she needed was rest to get better, but I knew better. The block-they destabilized it, didn't they?"

Magnus took in a deep breath. "Don't ask, Lois. There's nothing I can do. It's passed that stage."

"But-."

"Look, I'll take a look at it, but there's nothing I can do about it as it is." Magnus shook his head at her. "We need to wait for it to come down completely on its own."

She hugged her cushion tighter. "And then?"

Magnus stared at her. "And then we see just how bad the damage is."

**-V-V-V-V-V-**

Chloe wondered what it said about her that the moment she awoke in the dark of her room later that night her first thoughts were wondering where exactly Jace was. She figured that considering her last memory was of Lois and Isabelle arguing _something_ must've happened, and if something happened Jace should be around being his stalker self, so when she couldn't immediately make him out in the darkness around her the girl was both surprised and a little disconcerted. She'd seriously expected to see him somewhere in the room. Where was he and why wasn't he being a creeper? Wasn't she interesting anymore?

The girl sat up slowly and turned on the light, proving that Jace _truly_ wasn't in the room. _Wow_. This was something new. She had no idea how she felt about this. On one hand she'd been telling him to go to his room and leave her alone for a while now-on the other hand she'd never thought he'd actually do it.

She stood.

The door to her bedroom opened and Jace stopped when he saw her.

Huh.

So there he was.

Jace's eyes narrowed as he entered the room and closed the door softly behind him. "What are you doing out of bed? Get back in now!"

"I-."

"Get _in_." His eyes were dangerous as he stormed towards her. "No matter how much better you might feel, you're still weak right now.

"Not as weak as my bladder!" She glared at him.

Instead of backing down, Jace let out a little growl before swooping her up into his arms bridal style and moving her towards the bathroom.

Her eyes widened in horror. "You've _got_ to be kidding me!"

"You had an epileptic attack. I'm not about to take chances." He informed her curtly, a muscle ticking in his cheek as he kicked her bathroom door open and deposited her onto the toilet seat. "I'll be outside." With that he left the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Chloe stared at the door.

An epileptic attack?

She blinked.

The girl used the toilet, flushed, and somehow managed to wash her hands in the sink before Jace opened the door and picked her up once more despite her protests that people with epileptic attacks did not need others toting them around like prized pups.

Jace laid her down on the bed and then yanked the sheets around her chin. "Go to sleep."

She blinked once more. "You can't just-."

"Brother Jeremiah said that you need to stay in bed for the next couple of days, with minimal movement or strain of any sort, and just recuperate. He also said you should sleep as much as humanly possible." He leaned in closer. "So _sleep_."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I understand the logic behind it but I'm not _sleepy_. I just woke up."

"Fine. Then I'll tell you a bedtime story that will send you right off to sleep." He turned off her lights, moved around the bed and threw himself onto it. "Once there was a boy-."

"Jace, I'm not sure a bedtime story-," she tried.

"He was a Shadowhunter boy, of course." He totally ignored her and plowed on as he got comfortable on top of her sheets, hands behind his head, gaze on the ceiling. "When he was six years old his father gave him a falcon to train. Some people calls falcons the Shadowhunters of the sky." He gave a soft chuckle. "This particular falcon didn't like the boy and it would slash at him with its beak and talons and leave the boy bleeding whenever he got near it, which made the boy not like the falcon all that much either at first. But the boy tried hard because it was his father's gift and because his father had told him to make the falcon obedient. He wanted to please his father, to make him proud."

Despite her words to the contrary, Chloe was finding herself lulled by the sound of his voice, the girl turning to face Jace as she listened intently to the story.

"He was supposed to keep the falcon blind, but instead he stayed with it constantly, keeping it awake and talking to it, even going as far as playing music to it because supposedly a tired bird is easier to tame. He dedicated himself to that bird, to learning all to it, and in the end the bird that would bite and scratch at him allowed him to stroke its wings happily, would feed from his hands trustingly. He grew to love that falcon and knew that that falcon loved him too."

Chloe's lips twisted in a soft smile.

"He took the falcon to his father to show him his progress and expected his father to be proud and yet his father took the tame bird and broke its neck."

Chloe's eyes widened.

"His father dropped the body of his pet and said: 'I told you to make it obedient. Instead you taught it to love you. You didn't tame it, you broke it.'" Jace paused as he took in a deep breath. "It was only when his father was gone that the boy cried over the body of his pet until his father sent a servant to take the body to be buried. That was the last time that the boy ever cried, and he never forgot what he'd learnt: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "I think what he should've learnt was that his father was an abusive bastard."

Jace frowned. "His father wasn't abusive. He was trying to make him stronger. Inflexible."

"Please, that man was a monster." Chloe narrowed her eyes. "That boy did an amazing thing. He faced his fears and he tamed that creature and made it love him, and his father probably didn't know the meaning of love-or if he did he was jealous of what the boy could achieve and he couldn't." She shook her head. "In that story, the only broken thing was that father."

Jace frowned as he stared down at Chloe. He then cleared his throat and looked back up at the ceiling. "Go to sleep."

She nodded, his voice having lulled her back to that sleepy state anyway. "Don't get used to me following orders."

His lips twitched. "Heaven forbid."

They stayed like that in silence as Chloe rested the crown of her head against his arm as she closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep.


	9. The Difference One Night Can Make

_The angel poured its blood into the cup and held it out to the mortal standing in front of it, he and the warlock who had summoned it had done so with pure intentions in their hearts, to help humanity._

_Jonathan Shadowhunter took the Cup from him, and the Sword as well. He stared up at the angel hovering over the water before he used the Sword to slice into his body and free his own blood, mixing it with the angel's inside of the cup, filling it to the rim. He thanked the angel and then took a sip of the liquid within, becoming the first Nephilim, before passing the cup amongst his followers gathered, and from then on not only would their children and their children's children be Shadowhunters, but anyone who drank from the Cup._

_The Cup was warm from the blood within it, glowing from the angel's blood. It pulsed with life within Jonathan's hand._

...

Chloe gasped as she jolted awake. Her eyes flew open to find that she hadn't moved much from where she'd fallen asleep the night before. She was still curled on her side, the crown on her head pressed against Jace's arm, only difference was that sometime during the night she'd brought her knees up to her chest and she'd grabbed hold of his arms as well.

Jace was still asleep, his face calm, his breathing easy.

Chloe detangled herself from him and looked down at him in curiosity, now the one being the creeper as she openly admired him. He truly was handsome.

But the girl wasn't able to truly admire him for long because she realized that her pillow was soaked in blood.

Eyes widening, Chloe stared at the blood in horror before she reached over and shook the golden haired youth.

He jolted away similarly to how she had, hand going instinctively for a weapon before he realized where he was. An annoyed expression appeared as he relaxed and yawned. "I didn't think I would fall asleep as well. I was supposed to watch over you all night to make sure that the rest was doing the trick and you didn't have another episode."

Wordlessly, Chloe lifted the bloody pillow.

Jace narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"

She felt numb. "I don't remember."

"It has to be the block. But you _were_ resting!" Jace snapped, seemed to be talking to himself. "We need to get Brother Jeremiah back and-."

"No!" She shook her head. "The Silent Brothers are the reason this is happening to me now! I was fine before they had to mess with my head! I was _perfectly happy_ before I got mixed up with all of you!"

He looked like she'd hit him.

Chloe felt guilty but _she_ was the one who was being kept captive and whose mind had been played with, with only god knew what consequences. "You told me I would be okay. I believed _you_. Not them. _You_."

He actually flinched at that one.

Why wouldn't he _say_ anything?

Even if it was only to assure her that he really had thought she'd be okay?

...unless he hadn't been sure and her health had been something he'd been willing to risk so the Clave could get their hands on this Cup.

Something dark and cold churned inside of her. "Get out. I want to be alone." When it looked like he wouldn't comply, her anger flared. "You understand the meaning of privacy, don't you, Wayland? Get out of here! I don't want to see your face!"

He glared at her. " _Fine_. Do whatever the hell you want. Have another episode while you're in here alone. See if I care." And with that he stormed out of the room and slammed it shut behind him.

Chloe closed her eyes tightly and brought her hands to her face as she collapsed to the bed and whimpered.

Her phone blinked and vibrated as a text arrived and she almost didn't reach for her phone, yet something made her do so. The message was, surprisingly enough, from her father.

_**Come home. Alone.** _

Such a short, curt messaging style wasn't like her dad, and she narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

A picture appeared under the words of her father beaten and tied on his favorite chair, blood dripping down the side of his face, the man gagged and unconscious.

She brought a hand to her mouth to silence her cry.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Jace sat on his bed and stared in front of him.

 _ **I want to be alone**_ **.** Her voice snapped in his head. _**Get out!**_

He knew that he'd violated her privacy before, he _knew_ he'd pushed boundaries, he wasn't blind to that fact, but never before had she acted like it truly bothered her. Sure, she'd complained about it sometimes (after he finally got her to acknowledge he was there) but then she'd do something like throw herself on the bed next to him and interact with him. But the way she'd looked at him in her room back then...

_**I was perfectly happy before I got mixed up with all of you!** _

With a growl he shot up from the bed and began to pace the length of his room furiously.

_**Get out!** _

He shook his head as something dark churned deep within him.

_**I don't want to see your face!** _

A snarl tore passed his lips as he swung around and slammed his fist into the mirror. The glass shattered into bloodied fragments yet didn't fall, each reflecting back his narrowed golden eyes, his lips pulled back in a scowl. The boy reflected in those broken, bloodied fragments seemed like a wounded, defensive animal ready and willing to lash out and anyone who came near him.

_**You told me I would be okay. I believed** _ _**you** _ _**. Not them.** _ _**You** _ _**.** _

Jace lowered his head and moved back towards the bed, hand bleeding.

_**GET OUT!** _

With a snarl, Jace pushed back up, stormed towards his dresser and tore everything off of it.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

The door was unlocked when she finally reached her home.

Chloe didn't want to think about how easy it had been to sneak out of the Institute unseen, her mind only on her father, on the picture that had been sent to her phone. Despite her argument with Jace he'd been the first person she'd thought of going to, and that had shocked her, but that message had said to come alone and she was _not_ going to put her father in more danger. No. She was going to enter this trap (because this was no doubt a trap) and she would tell this Valentine guy's men that she didn't know about any Cup or antidote but that she'd help their master in exchange for the safety and protection of her father, Lois, and other loved ones.

Once Valentine had what he wanted he'd leave her alone, once and for all, and she would never have to see his minions again, or worry about this sort of thing again. She could go back to her life with her real family and be... happy... again. All she had to do was find out where that Cup was and give it to Valentine. This wasn't her fight and her father shouldn't have to suffer for it. And it wasn't as if the Clave hadn't beaten Valentine before. They could do it again. Chloe just wanted no part in any of this. She was sick and tired of it.

Determined to see this horrible plan through, Chloe pushed open the door and entered the dark house, her eyes narrowed as she gazed around her. "Hello?" She cleared her throat. "I came alone like you said I should, but you probably already know that somehow." She took in a deep breath and fought her instinct, which told her to run. The blonde instead closed the door behind her and was bathed in the darkness. "I want to see my father."

A light came on in the living room.

She gulped and moved towards it, knowing she was walking deeper and deeper into whatever trap was placed for her.

Her mother used to mutter something to herself, and it came unbidden to Chloe's lips as she moved into the living room: "Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly."

"It is actually: _will_ _you walk_ _into my parlor_ ," a voice corrected from behind her.

Chloe swung around to see Valentine, her whole body frozen because she'd expected his lackeys.

He stood tall, hands clasped behind his back as he stared at her, visibly examining her with his black eyes, the harsh fluorescent light giving his white-blonde hair a halo. He was older than when she'd last seen him, obviously, but not old. No. He was probably in his late thirties. It really made her wonder how young he and her mother had been when they'd gotten married. "You have grown into a woman."

His displeased voice jolted her out of her terrified shock.

The girl licked her lips and her gaze went to her father's favorite chair, finding the man missing. Her eyes narrowed and returned to the psychopath in their midst. "What have you done to my father?"

Something dark and dangerous passed over his face as Valentine drew near. "The mundane who raised you is alive and well."

"He didn't look 'well' in the picture you sent me." She glared at the man who mother had left them for. "Where is he? I want to see him. I want proof that he's still alive."

Instead of answering, Valentine eyed her. "You are seventeen, are you not?"

She frowned. "Yeah."

"Chloe." He scoffed at the name. "I wouldn't have chosen that name myself had I had a choice. From a young age I knew that should I have a son, I would name him Jonathan after Jonathan Shadowhunter-a terribly common first name amongst Shadowhunters, I admit, but one that could be carried with _pride_. And should I have a daughter, I would name her Seraphina, after my mother."

Did she look like she cared?

But it wouldn't get her anywhere good to antagonize the man who had her father captive somewhere, so she decided to play nice. "Did you? In the end?"

He paused. "Did I… what?"

She couldn't understand the confusion. "Did you and my mother, or any other woman, have a son or a daughter you could name Jonathan or Seraphina?" She raised an eyebrow. "You know, since the name my father picked for me is so lacking in your eyes." She probably shouldn't have said that last part, as evidenced in the flare up of temper in his black orbs before he visibly calmed himself, but Chloe hadn't seen hide or hair of her father since that picture and she was beginning to get extremely agitated. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you must not want to talk to me as much I as don't want to talk to you, so why don't we just get down to business and-."

"Why would you think I do not want to talk to speak with you?" He completely threw her through a loop.

Chloe backpedaled mentally as her eyes widened and she remembered the man who'd taken her mom from her-who'd treated Chloe with such thinly veiled disgust the veil might as well not even be _there_. "Okay, so this is a Cup thing. Let me be clear that I don't know where it is and I'm not lying. I don't. If I knew where it was, Clave or not, I'd hand that damned thing over to you in a _second_ so that I never had to see you or your lackeys in my life ever again-." Again she could see she was pissing him off and figured he was used to more respect than this, so she took in a deep breath and tried once more. "Believe me when I say I don't _know_ where the Cup is. But before I say anything else, I _need_ to know that my father's alive."

"The mundane is alive, I swear it by the Angel."

Jace had told her that when Shadowhunters swore 'by the Angel' it was binding to them, and so while Chloe couldn't see her father, this oath reassured her. Bad guy or not, Valentine was still a Shadowhunter (albeit a misguided one) and he was bound to those same rules, wasn't he?

"Good." Chloe took in a deep breath before she fixed Valentine with a look. "What _antidote_ was your minion looking for the other night at Lois'?"

"Minion?" He eyed her oddly.

"Yeah, that one guy that was there."

Valentine continued to watch her oddly, as if deep in thought, considering something. His eyes then widened and he came towards her. "You have a _block_? Who would _dare_ -?"

Chloe backed away from him instinctively, pressed against the wall, and hated herself for showing that weakness. "My mother hired someone to put that block on my mind and from what I could get from when the Silent Brothers tried to bring it down, not only couldn't they do so, but she was supposed to take me to whoever had put up the block in my head every year to keep consequences from happening." She glared from Valentine. "Of course, she chose to instead go with you and forgot that she'd done this to me, so whenever this block comes down, I'm essentially screwed." Her eyes narrowed. "You can see why I would just give you the Cup so I don't have to ever see your face again, don't you?"

He narrowed his eyes and came towards her, stood face to face with her, before he took in a breath. "I did not know."

Chloe frowned. "Well, now you do." She turned to slip away but was stopped when he slammed his hands on either side of her head, trapping her against the wall and forcing her to look up at him. "What are you-?"

"You do not seem to understand that we have _both_ been the victims of your mother's lies."

Chloe blinked in confusion as she tilted her head up to stare into those black eyes. "Did she leave _you too_?"

"Of course not." He scoffed at the very idea even though the woman had left him once already.

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "Then why hasn't _she_ given you the Mortal Cup? Or at least its location?"

"That is not important right now." His eyes never wavered from her face. "What is important is that when I left with your mother all those years ago, I should've seen it, I _did_ , but I let my ego cloud my judgement and I shrugged it off."

She was lost. Horribly lost. "Say _what_?"

He reached out and touched her hair, reminding her far too much of when she was a child. "When we left, you should have come with us, to where you truly belong." He stared at her. "No Shadowhunter child should've been forced to stay and grow up alone and isolated in a mundane world-a world not their own."

"Thanks to my father I'm half mundane." She forced herself not to pull away. "It's my world too."

He stared at her and then shook his head. "No, it's not."

Chloe's world shattered around her as her eyes widened in horror, her voice soft and breathless. " _ **No**_."

He nodded as he pulled away as he began to pace the room languidly, hands clasped behind his back. "When your mother met the mundane who raised you, she was already pregnant with you." He sent her a look over his shoulder and he stopped pacing. "You are the girl child I was _praying_ she'd conceive and carry to term, had given up believing she would, before your mother ran away and took the Cup with her."

Chloe shook her head numbly. "It's… it's a _lie_." She brought her hands to her head. "You're just trying to get me to work for you, so you're trying to establish some sort of link between us. That's what psychopaths do." She shook her head. "You don't need to do to this, I'll look for the Cup for you in exchange for you to leave us alone, for my father's safety, for-."

" _I AM YOUR CREATOR_!" He snarled as he moved towards her once more, like a lion on the prowl.

Chloe pushed up against the wall harder and closed her eyes as she shook her head, fighting the wave of nausea and tears.

His hands on hers were gentle yet firm as they pulled them away from her ears. "Your every breath belongs to the house of Morgenstern."

Her eyes flew open. "No, I-,"

"It makes sense, in a way, I suppose, that you had to fall so hard to live a life like a mundane, it reminds me somewhat of the falling star that is the symbol of the Morgensterns. You've fallen so low, and yet now that I am here I can see… almost a _glow_ about you, and I know-I _know_ -you are the child I prayed your mother would have. You are my Morgenstern." He raised an eyebrow at the look she gave him. "I forget how regrettably lax mundane education is. My family name means 'morning star', as in ' _How are thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!'_ "

She stared at him in utter horror. "I don't know my Bible that well, but that sounds a lot like you're saying your family was named after _Satan_."

"Or a great power lost," he countered, "out of a refusal to serve. As mine was. I wouldn't serve a corrupt government and due to that I love my family, lands, and almost my life."

She snorted. "How history writes it, the Uprising was _your_ fault."

"History is written by the winners."

She gulped and couldn't deny that.

"If I had known who you were I would never have left you behind." His eyes, they were dark and fiery and yet cold at the same time. They were furious.

She had a feeling that he was telling the truth, and it shocked her to her core. "My father is Gabriel-."

A flash of anger crossed his features as he slammed his palms on the wall on either side of her head, silencing her, before he took in a deep breath, obviously calming himself before he spoke, his tone even. "No."

There was such finality in that one word that she felt sick to her stomach. " _Have you killed him?_ "

He tilted his head to the side. "I am not the monster the Clave have you believe I am."

She narrowed her eyes on him. "You had him beaten and tied up!"

"I didn't _have_ him beaten and tied up. I did that. Myself. He realized who I was and didn't react well so I had to pacify him until you arrived. And as I needed a way to get you here it worked in my favor." He pushed away and motioned for her to come with him towards the library, where she found her father tied and unconscious on his seat. "He's kept you alive all these years though, so I spared him his life."

She didn't hear him, she'd rushed to her father and after confirming a pulse, had wrapped her arms around him in relief. She then pulled away and turned to face Valentine as she stood. "He needs to go to the hospital."

"Do you know how hard it was for me to come here to see you?" Valentine asked her curiously. "How many of my people had to go and create distractions worldwide so the Clave would be too busy to look here and notice where I was?" He stepped closer. "By the time this visit is up, many of my people will be dead."

Chloe gulped, a little suffocated by his intensity and scared by it. "I don't know where the Cup or the antidote are."

"But you will," Valentine surprised her by announcing. "And when you do you will bring them to me."

Chloe gulped once more and kept herself from cringing when he reached out to touch her hair.

"The girl child I prayed night and day for on my knees _til they bled_." He smiled to himself.

" _How can you be so sure?_ " Her voice was barely over a whisper but she knew he heard it. " _How_ can you be sure that I'm fully Shadowhunter and not half mundane?"

"You could somehow conceal it from me when you were a child, but not now. Maybe it's because the block is getting weaker." Valentine's eyes narrowed slightly in thought at that one. "I would be surprised that the others haven't noticed it but they haven't been exposed as I have, they haven't been trained to see, they don't know what to look for. It's stronger than the strongest glamour for those who have never known it before."

"Concealed _what_? Look for _what_?" Chloe stared at him in confusion. "Never known _what_ before?"

Valentine leaned forwards once more, his voice lowered. "The... effects... of your _true_ heritage."

Chloe narrowed her eyes, her confusion growing. " _What..._?"

Valentine pulled away, visibly pleased, with both himself and her. "Tell no one that you have seen me, that you have spoken to me, and what you are _,_ but never forget it. And go back to the Institute, for now."

"I don't follow your orders." But even to Chloe her voice sounded numb and defeated.

He must've heard it because he didn't even seem annoyed with her, if anything, he looked darkly pleased and highly amused about something. "Go, the mundane will be unharmed and won't remember what happened here." He smirked. "The Clave will suspect something has gone down tonight but they will never be able to figure out what it was."

-X-X-X-X-X-

Chloe stumbled back into the Institute numbly, feeling caught in some horrible nightmare. She'd taken the cab only partway to the Metropolis facility so she could scream and cry the rest of the walk to the Institute. She knew it wasn't safe to walk the streets at night, there were rapists and murderers and vampires and werewolves and demons out there, but her wails must've sounded like the chorus of the damned because no one bothered her.

Church eyed her and meowed loudly as he sat in the darkness, breaking her from her thoughts.

She ignored him and then thought better of it as she turned to the cat whom she'd seen the other talk to as if he could understand what they said. "Can you take me to Jace's room?"

Church looked like if he could raise an eyebrow he would've, but the cat sniffed and began to move away and Chloe followed wordlessly. She didn't take note of where they were going, the twists and turns, instead merely following the feline through the winding passageways.

She stopped when Church stopped and brushed up against a door before leaving her in the darkness.

Chloe stood in front of that door with only a cat's say-so that it was the one she wanted. She decided that with everything that had happened tonight she was going to go on faith. The girl eased the door open silently and gaze inside.

It appeared as if a hurricane had breezed through the interior of that room, knocking everything off of where they should be, things all over the ground and torn off of the walls.

Even the mirror was broken and bloody.

This wasn't how she'd imagined Jace's room, but she could see his mop of golden hair sticking out from under the blankets on the bed and knew for certain that Church the cat was smarter than the average cat (which was smart enough) and could definitely understand when it was spoken to. She took in a deep breath and entered the room, closing it silently as she observed the violent mess that was Jace's room. It was a good thing that it was extremely spartan for a teenager's living quarters because everything was torn apart, obviously in a fit of rage, and she wondered if this could've been a result of her argument with him.

A little bit of the numbness that'd infected her since her meeting with Valentine began to disappear, replaced with another feeling, it might be guilt, but she didn't want to concentrate on it long enough to ascertain whether it was or not.

The girl had the opportunity to be the one to watch but she didn't want to. She instead just didn't want to be alone, wanted a little comfort, and for some inexplicable reason, Jace Wayland, Blondo MacStalkerstein, was the one she wanted, needed, it from.

It was why she reached the side of the bed, kicked off her shoes, and slipped under the sheets, careful not to wake him as she curled up next to Jace. The girl closed her eyes tightly, trembling both from the cold and what she'd gone through. She moved and pressed the crown of her head against his arm, as she had while in her own bed, and like before, somehow, despite it all, she calmed enough to drift slowly to sleep.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

It was the feeling of something moving next to him that awoke Jace, and he opened his eyes, disoriented, tense, reaching instinctively for a weapon because _there shouldn't be anyone sleeping with him_... But then he saw the blonde head pressed against his arm, the body curled against his, and Jace blinked as a wave of deja vu hit him hard in the gut, only serving to amplify the disorientation. He was sleeping in the same bed as Chloe. How? Why? Had he somehow gone back to her bedroom last night without even realizing he had? That was the only explanation that could come to his mind considering that the girl had no idea where his room was in the maze-like labyrinth of the Institute, and yet the Shadowhunter blinked away his sleep and could clearly see that this mess was his room.

He gulped as his wide-eyed golden gaze turned to the sleeping girl in utter disbelief.

 _She_ had come to _him_.

The fact that she had somehow managed to find his room really didn't bother him, didn't tickle his curiosity, didn't even register for right now. All that surged through the Shadowhunter youth was bone-numbing shock that the girl had searched him out. She'd told him to leave. She'd looked at him with such angered disgust, had thrown him out of her room, and he'd been _sure_ it would take him a _lot_ of charm to get back into her good graces, and yet _she'd come to him_.

He gulped around the lump in his throat and found it hard to breathe.

His eyes then widened further as he realized something else.

Oh dear Angel-she'd seen his room in this state. She must think he kept his usually spick and span dwelling, his usually spotless living quarters, like the destruction site it was right now! Just what sort of violent monster did she think lived in here?

His gaze lowered to his knuckles, which were bruised and bloodied from where he'd taken his frustration out on everything around him and hadn't bothered using the iratze, had _wanted_ the pain.

Of _course_ this pain in the ass girl would choose to finally seek him out when he was in his worst state.

 _Of course_!

Then again, this _was_ all _her_ fault!

If she hadn't said those things to him-if she hadn't looked at him as if he'd disappointed her so fundamentally-as if he-.

Jace took in a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly.

Chloe whimpered in her sleep and rubbed her cheek against his arm before she hugged it to her chest, basically curled herself around his arm like some sort of kitten.

Something tightened in his gut.

 _Oh by the Angel,_ he was seriously starting to become terrified of this girl.

Jace slowly, carefully, extricated his limb from her sleepy yet strong grip, and then his eyes widened when the girl cuddled closer and wrapped herself around his body instead, apparently seeking heat like some sort of heat-seeking rune. Chloe wrapped her leg around Jace's, her cheek resting over Jace's heart, her arm curled over his waist and anchoring herself to him like some cute little parasite.

He gulped and stared at the ceiling long and hard before going through every type of Downworlder and demon in his head, alphabetically, from biggest in size and categorizing them by ferocity... his hands clenched in fists by his side.

This was going to be a _very_ long morning.


	10. Books, The Guardians of Secrets

She was warm and happy, ridiculously boneless and safe.

Those were her first thoughts as she stretched and hugged her body-pillow tighter, wondering why it was so _firm_.

"You know, if this is your way of apologizing, we should get into arguments more often."

Her eyes flew open at that lazy drawl as everything from the night before came flooding back and Chloe cried out as she threw herself away from Jace, who eyed her with dark amusement.

"Now now, you're much more true to yourself when you're asleep." He smirked and leaned up on his elbows, eyeing her. "I couldn't move because of how tightly you were attached to me."

Chloe opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it once more as she tried to figure out how to get herself out of this with her dignity intact. A trail of blood trickled down her nostril as a jolt of pain seared through her head.

Jace's grin melted from his face and in seconds he'd pulled off his shirt and bunched it up, bringing it up to her nose to stop the bleeding. "You know, if you wanted me to take off my shirt there were easier ways to accomplish it."

She would glare at him if it wouldn't make her head ache worse. "Yes, because this is _all_ due to my insane desire to see you naked."

"Well, at least you're becoming more truthful with yourself."

She snorted in amusement and immediately regretted it, her head hurting worse.

Jace put his free hand on her forehead, his palm cooling and calming. "I'll put an iratze on you, let me find my stele."

"I'm fine." She closed her eyes. "It's all the Shadowhunter interference that started this and I would prefer no more of it."

He frowned darkly at her, his expression grim. "The iratze is a _healing_ rune, you know this considering you placed it on me if you are to be believed." He switched so that now the back of his palm was against her forehead. "We should call for the Downworlder to come and look at the block now that you're awake."

"Oh, _now_ you're willing to listen to what he has to say about it?" She was being childish and knew it. "What happened to him being in league with Valentine and not giving the Clave the right information about the block?"

Jace ignored her as he removed his shirt from her nose and eyed her warily. "Good. No more bleeding." He tilted her head and examined her nose. "How's the pain? Any light sensitivity?"

Well, now that he'd mentioned it-. "Maybe a little."

The door flew open. "Jace, the mundie isn't in her room and we think-." Alec froze when he caught them in such a compromising situation, Jace' tattooed chest bare as he leaned over her in the bed they'd obviously both slept in. Something dark passed over the dark haired Shadowhunter's face. "-that she's obviously _here_ , in _your_ room, sleeping in your _bed_. Because if _you_ weren't in _her_ room it was a given _she_ had to be in _yours_." He then stepped out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

Jace blinked and turned to face Chloe, his lips curled in dark amusement. "Is it _really_ a given?"

Chloe stared up at him and couldn't get how he didn't see how his friend felt about him.

The door opened once more and Alec entered the room again, a muscle ticking in his cheek. "There's someone here to see Chloe."

Chloe cleared her throat. "Lois or Magnus?"

The dark haired Shadowhunter shook his head. "A different mundane."

The blonde blinked. " _What_?"

"He will not leave until he sees you." Alec sighed. "We do not know how he knows you are here but he won't be convinced that you aren't."

Jace narrowed his eyes. " _He_?"

"Who-?" And then she stumbled rapidly out of bed despite of Jace's hiss for her to be careful, and hurried towards Alec. "Please take me to him!"

Alec paused and sent a look behind her to Jace before he nodded.

Chloe hurried behind him, not noticing Jace's suddenly sombre mood as the golden haired male (still shirtless) followed them out as well. She breathed in and out, a part of her trying to tell her that it could be her father-Gabe-who was out there, but another part was sure it was someone else, and when they neared a room and heard Isabelle's voice-and then another voice answering her, her suspicions were confirmed.

Giving a cry relief, not having realized how much she'd been hoping it was him, Chloe rushed passed Alec into the room. "Clark!"

Her friend looked up at her voice in time for her to fling herself at him, relief coloring his face. "Chloe."

"I can't believe you're really here." She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest as he hugged her back. "How did you know where I was?"

"I've known something was wrong for a while now, especially with how your dad's been acting, and I've been staking out your house." Clark declared. "I saw you there last night and I followed you back here. I-I just-I saw how devastated you were and I couldn't approach you and-it's taken me this long to get the nerve to actually enter the place." He licked his lips. "It's not actually a church. It looks like a church from the outside-I _thought_ it was weird that you would be living in a church."

Chloe froze.

"You _left_ the Institute last night?" Isabelle snapped at her, eyes narrowed when she saw the look on Jace's face and realized that this was the first _he_ was hearing of this as well. " _Unaccompanied_? Who gave you permission to do that?"

"Why would she need _permission_ to come and go?" Clark wanted to know. "She went to see _her dad_. Why would _you strangers_ need to give her permission to do that?"

"Listen _mundie_ , why don't you stop talking when you obviously don't know anything about anything?" Jace's voice was cold. "You'll save yourself from looking more ignorant than you already do."

Clark narrowed his eyes at him.

" _Jace_." Chloe snapped at the golden haired boy.

"What?" He turned his eyes on her, his lips pulled in a grim line. "The mundie has no place here. He's seen you're fine. He should be let out, _cordially_."

When Jace said "cordially" like that it sounded like he was actually saying "kicked out on his butt".

Alec's eyes were on Chloe. "Why did you leave the Institute and not even tell Jace where you were going?"

"I still don't understand why you all feel she needs to report her every move to you people." Clark looked at them before he lowered his gaze to Chloe. "What's going on? Your dad's told everyone you've been staying with Lois but when I went over there to see you, her dad said that she moved out to stay with her boyfriend so I _know_ that what your dad was saying couldn't be true." He frowned. "And now this? What's really going on? Are they forcing you to stay here against your will?"

"No." She looked away.

Clark narrowed his eyes. "You don't sound very convincing, Chlo."

"You heard her, mundie."

"Stop _calling_ him that!" Chloe snapped at Jace before she grabbed Clark's arm and pulled him away from the others, trying to put some separation between them. "Certain... circumstances... have me staying here for right now but as soon as they're gone... so am I." She looked up at Clark and failed to see the darkness on Jace's face at those words, the way he clenched his shaking fists. She smiled at Clark. "I can't believe you found me."

Clark smiled down at her. "Of course I did."

Chloe reached out and hugged him tightly. " _Of course you did_."

They held each other tightly.

"It's all very _suspicious_ , don't you think?" Jace's voice was dark steel that drew them apart. "How _convenient_ it was that he found you and was able to follow you here."

Chloe drew apart and turned to look at Jace, eyes narrowed. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?" And then she blinked in shock.

Jace looked unlike she'd ever seen him before. He looked like a wounded lion striking out angrily at all around him, his golden eyes narrowed and vicious.

"You still haven't answered my question," Alec reminded her.

Chloe tore her wide gaze from Jace and cleared her throat as she turned her greens onto Alec. "I got a text from my father. He asked me to go home and see him. I wanted to. It would make him confused if I didn't so I did." A part of her wanted to tell them about Valentine, about everything he'd told her, but she bit it back. "Just because Magnus confounded him doesn't mean he's not my father and doesn't miss me and I him. He would've gotten suspicious if I had disobeyed him anyway. And if I'd shown up with Jace or anyone he didn't know he'd get even more suspicious." She was too used to lying to the people around her, she realized that when all these lies came so easily to her without her even having to hesitate. "It was easier to do it this way. Plus, Jace and I had just argued and I wanted to get out of here and away from you all for a while and clear my head."

Alec and Isabelle turned their gazes on Jace for confirmation on the later part.

He gave a reluctant nod, his molten gold orbs on her. "That doesn't mean you should've gone out on your own. It's not safe."

Church entered the room, the blue Persian eyeing Alec before he meowed and flicked his tail with command and walked away back the way he'd come.

Alec sighed. "I'm being summoned."

Clark blinked. "By the cat?"

"Of course not." Alec looked at Clark as if he was silly. "By Hodge." He turned to Isabelle. "Keep an eye on them, I'll report everything we've learnt to him."

Isabelle nodded and watched as Alec and Church left the room. She then turned her gaze on Chloe. "I don't care if your father texts you. You can't go out on your own like that, especially at night." Her gaze went to Clark. "You obviously don't know what's going on, but let me fill you in enough for you to get that we're not holding her hostage, even if she obviously feels that we are. We're keeping her safe. She was already attacked and we're the only ones that stopped her from getting seriously hurt."

Clark paled. "What?"

"Yuh." Isabelle nodded. "She's lived a mundane life, and because of that, she's ridiculously weak. That means she's safest behind these walls." Her charcoal eyes went to Chloe. "Whether she likes it or not."

Chloe had no idea whether Isabelle was trying to be nice or not, you could never tell with that one.

"So now that you know, you can leave." Jace motioned towards the general direction of the front door.

"Jace." Chloe glared at him. "What the hell is your issue? You let Lois visit!"

"One mundane is enough. Two is-" he seemed to be searching for the right word, and then had to settle for: " _two_."

"Your way with words is _outstanding_." Clark surprised her by declaring dryly, the boy usually not one to be hostile, but then again Jace _had_ been attacking him verbally, _endlessly_ , since he'd arrived. "You must win all sorts of academic debates with that sort of sharp reasoning."

Isabelle's lips twitched and her eyes twinkled with amusement. "That's our Jace alright."

Jace shot her a look.

She totally didn't notice it, eyes on Clark.

"Clark, I'm half something called a Shadowhunter." Chloe blurted out before she turned to Jace. "There. He can stay."

A muscle jumped in Jace's cheek. "There are Laws about telling mundanes about us."

"I got away with telling Lois." Chloe reminded.

"She found out on her own." Jace raised an eyebrow.

"Mundane?" Clark asked Isabelle.

"Someone not from the Shadow World like us-someone who isn't Shadowhunter or Downworlder." Isabelle seemed to like Clark enough to fill him in. "We call them 'mundies' for short."

"Downworlder?" Clark made a face.

Isabelle opened her mouth.

 _"Isabelle_." Jace narrowed his eyes.

"Vampires, werewolves..." Chloe supplied the answer.

Clark's eyes widened. "They _exist_?"

Jace turned his narrowed gaze on _Chloe_.

She ignored him and nodded to Clark. "I know, right? Go figure! And we thought meteor freaks were the only thing we had to worry about."

It was Isabelle's turn to look confused. "Meteor freaks?"

"Apparently they believe that some meteor rocks have mutated mundanes so that they exhibit certain Downworlder abilities." Jace's voice was a drawl. "I informed Hodge of this. He has Shadowhunters investigating it."

Chloe's eyes widened. "They _are_?"

"Of course." Jace raised an eyebrow at her. "If your archives are correct, then these Meteor Freaks are a new, otherwise uncategorized species of Downworlder, and thus they come under the jurisdiction of the Shadowhunters."

"My... archives?" Chloe blinked in utter confusion.

Jace nodded. "I believe you call the collection "The Torch? Which I quite fitting considering the light they shine on the subject."

"Hodge wants to see you." Alec reappeared and brought their attention to him, his eyes on Chloe. "He says I'm to bring you, and only you, to him now."

Chloe nodded and followed after Alec in silence to Hodge's office.

"Do you really want to leave as soon as you can?" He broke the silence between them.

She eyed him. "Yes."

"Good." He took in a deep breath. "You're not good for Jace. Having you out of his life will help him go back to the way he used to be."

She should feel insulted, but Chloe sympathized all too well when it came to being in love with someone who saw you as a sibling. "You think I'm bad for him."

"I _know_ you're bad for him," he corrected.

She eyed him. "How? Or why?"

He hesitated. "I don't need to answer to you."

She nodded in agreement. "I suppose you're right."

He frowned at her. "That's it? You're not gonna argue?"

"Would it change how you feel?" Chloe watched him shake his head. "Then why argue?"

Alec eyed her yet didn't say anything else as they reached Hodge's office, the boy opening the door for her.

"Thanks." Chloe paused before she sent Alec a sad smile. "I get it, you know, wishing that that someone you care about more than anyone else would just _see_ you the way you want them to?" She entered the room and left Alec before he could react to her words.

The door closed behind her.

Hodge was, like last time, nowhere to be seen in the vast office.

Chloe stepped further inside, her gaze going to the Gray Book of runes before she shook her head and gazed around, noticing a book open on the table and instead making her way towards there. It looked like some sort of record, a journal maybe, but not like a diary. She flipped through the pages curiously and came upon the Oath of Loyalty Hodge had told her about earlier, the girl's eyes widening when she realized what she had in her hands. This must be Hodge's personal journal concerning the Circle of Raziel. She was about to close the journal when she noticed the edge of a picture peeking out from the pages and she couldn't stop herself, the girl slipping it out free to stare at the picture of a larger group than the one Hodge had shown her earlier.

Her mother was in this one as well, grinning brightly and looping her arms around those of a handsome man (the same man who'd been in the other picture) and those of the same redheaded woman who'd also been in that other picture.

Hodge was in this picture, younger yet not that much younger to not be unmistakably Hodge.

Valentine stood on the other side of the redheaded woman, tall and handsome, a smirk curving his lips as his black eyes stared at the camera.

But it was none of these faces that drew or kept Chloe's attention.

No.

It was the grinning face belonging to the young man leaning against Valentine, his elbow resting comfortably and companionably on Valentine's shoulder, that she couldn't tear her greens away from.

Chloe was frozen, her whole body going into shock.

What- _what was this_?

The girl looked up and gazed around, making sure that Hodge was no where in sight as she shoved the picture shakily into her pocket and closed the book. She took in a stuttered breath and turned her back towards this book, put distance between her and it as she went towards the Gray Book of runes, trying to immerse herself in something else so that when Hodge arrived her guilt and questions and confusion weren't so visible on her face. The girl licked her lips and tried to remember what exactly had happened the last time she'd looked through this book but all she could remember was getting dizzy and Hodge catching her.

Intrigued, Chloe realized the book was still opened to the page she'd left it at.

The blonde let her eyes wander over the rune, over the description of what it was called and what it helped with, before she flipped the page, repeating this over and over again silently as she waited for Hodge to show up. Progressively the flipping of pages grew faster, a buzz humming in the back of her head, the words and symbols beginning to blur together in her mind's eye, and by the time she blinked next and shook her head, the girl realized that she'd finished the book.

She let out a huffed breath of laughter as she brought her hand to her head, a little dizzy and yet not like she'd been before. "I'm never going to remember, much less _learn_ any of these if I can't concentrate on them better than that." She frowned slightly when she tasted metallic and brought her hand to her mouth, coming back with blood. Her eyes widened as she hurried to the quickest reflective surface and saw that both nostrils had trails of blood leading down from them.

The girl wiped at the blood and stared at her bloody hands before she clenched those hands into shaking fists.

She looked around.

Hodge still wasn't around, he must've been held up somewhere, probably had gotten some message (or maybe even a call) from the Clave.

The girl licked her lips, still able to taste her own blood on them, the picture in her pocket weighing heavy.

The others weren't expecting her back as yet. If she wanted to do this, it was now or never.

Taking in a deep breath, Chloe moved towards the door and eased it open, and once she verified that there was no one lurking around outside, she raced down the corridor towards the front door of the Institute.

-X-X-X-X-X-

He looked up when he saw her, his eyes widening. " _Chloe_." The worry in his voice was like a vicious stab in the gut to her as he moved towards her. "Where have you been? I've been so wor-!"

Chloe slapped him hard, the blow hurting her hand and obviously shocking the hell outta him as his head swung with the force she'd put behind it. " _How could you keep this from me_?"

He brought his hand to his cheek, eyes narrowed in confusion. "What-?"

She didn't let him finish that as she tore out the picture from her pocket and showed it to him in condemnation. " _You knew_."

His eyes widened and his hand fell from his reddening cheek. "Where did you get that?"

"You don't get to ask me questions." Her hand shook as it held the photo up between them like a wall. "You're the one who told him where we lived all those years ago and made him come seduce her away! You've been keeping an eye on me and reporting back to him!" Her whole body shook, her voice breaking with emotion. "You knew the truth about everything, you knew what I thought-what I felt-and you _never told me anything_!" A sob escaped her lips in an ugly sound. " _How_ _ **could**_ _you?_ " Tears began to fell. " _You're one of the only people I've ever trusted, Luke_!"

"Chloe, you need to believe me," he took in a deep breath. "I know how this looks, I _know_ what you must think, but I _did not_ tell him anything." He frowned at her. "Obviously you know enough to know..." he cleared his throat. "When Jocelyn and Moira ran away..."

"Jocelyn?" Chloe frowned in confusion.

"She's the redhead in that picture, your mother's best friend and parabatai. Do you know what that means?"

Chloe nodded numbly. "Alec and Jace are parabatai. They're warriors who are bound to fight side by side, or something like that."

"There's more to it than that, but, yes, basically you're right." Luke took in a deep breath as he came closer and flinched when she moved away. "Chloe, you have to believe me when I say that I have _never_ betrayed you or your mother. On the contrary, I've been watching over you, especially after Moira sacrificed herself to keep you safe." The look in his eyes was fierce. "You are like the child I never got to have and I would _never_ let anyone hurt you."

Chloe couldn't breathe, too many things he'd said beating her from every angle. But one in particular echoed hard in her head. "Sacrificed-? She _left_ me! She abandoned me!"

"She protected you from Valentine." Luke's eyes narrowed, his voice hard. "Had she fought him he would've used you against her. She knew that the best way to protect you was to go with him without fight." He let out a deep breath and ran his hand over his face. "We used to talk while you looked around the shop as a child, about what she'd do if he found her, and for her the only important thing was keeping you safe from him. She didn't care what happened to her, all that mattered to your mother was that you were safe and that he didn't touch you."

Chloe gulped. "Because I was his daughter and she didn't want someone like him raising me."

"No, because he would use you against her knowing that you were her only weakness." Luke shook his head and pulled his hand from his face. "Why would you think that you were Valentine's-?"

"Because that's what _Valentine_ told me when I saw him last night." Chloe replied numbly as suddenly her world shattered viciously around her and she collapsed to her knees in the middle of Luke's shop. "Oh my god. That's what the block's about-about him being-about _him_." She dropped the picture and brought her trembling hands to her face. "She sacrificed herself, went back to that man, to keep _me_ safe. She didn't abandon me because she didn't care-didn't **not** look back at me because she didn't love me-she just didn't want _him_ to know that she did!"

Luke was in front of her in seconds, carefully pulling her hands from her face as he bent on his knees. "You've seen Valentine? And he said you were his daughter?" Luke's dark eyes were narrowed. "He said those exact words?"

"What does it matter-?"

" _Chloe_! It matters with Valentine!" Luke's grip on her wrists was strong before he took in a deep breath and stared into her tear-filled eyes. "I need you to think long and hard. Did Valentine actually use the word 'daughter'?"

Chloe gulped as she looked up at Luke, wanting so desperately to have him on her side once more. "N-no."

Valentine nodded as he let out a little breath. "Okay. What did he say? _Exactly_?"

The girl narrowed her eyes as she tried to remember, her head beginning to hurt. "He kept saying things like, like, uh-"You belong to the house of Morgenstern". And that's his surname. And when I said Gabriel Sullivan was my dad he got angry and said he was my, what was his wording?" Now that Chloe thought about it, the choice of wording had been curious. "He said he was my creator. _Him_. That I was the girl-child he'd been praying for my mother to conceive, that he'd been praying for me until his knees bled, or something along those lines." She looked up at Luke. "And he said that I was _whole_ Shadowhunter and didn't have mundane in me so Gabe can't be my dad. He has to be telling me the truth. He has to be my father."

Luke had gone progressively paler as she'd spoken. "He knows."

So Valentine really _was_ telling the truth, huh?

Chloe looked away.

Luke suddenly grabbed the picture she'd dropped and forgotten, and raised it to face Chloe this time, pointing to the man Moira had one of her arms looped around. " _This_ is your father. Not Valentine. _Him._ "

Valentine wasn't-?

Chloe's eyes widened in shock as she took the picture back from Luke and gulped. "Who is he?"

"Michael Wayland."

Chloe dropped the picture and stared up at Luke in horror. " _What_?"

Luke picked back up the picture and placed it in her hand. "You need to come with me." His dark eyes stared into her horrified greens. "There is someone you need to meet."

 _Michael Wayland_.

_**Michael Wayland** _ **.**

Jace's _dad_.

 _Jace's_ dad.

Jace-who she'd- _Jace_.

Chloe numbly placed her hand in Luke's and let him lead her out of the shop, the girl lost in a horrified daze.


	11. Someone She Needed To Meet

The apartment looked homey enough, although the sign for hand-reading on the bottom floor window kept drawing her in. Were they going in to get her palm-read? But Luke completely bypassed the downstairs apartments once they were inside and made his way inside, Chloe looking up to see the skylight and thinking this was a nice place and wondering, as she followed him up the stairs, exactly who lived here and why Luke felt that she needed to meet this person.

He hesitated at a door before knocking on it in a series of knocks that comprised a pattern, a code.

The door opened to reveal a beautiful redheaded woman. _The_ redheaded woman from the pictures. Her mother's parabatai.

The woman's grip tightened on the door when she noticed Chloe half-shielded behind his body. "What is going on, Luke?"

"Just _look_ at her, Jocelyn," Luke whispered.

Jocelyn frowned as she turned to look at Chloe. Really look. And then her eyes widened and her grip loosened on the door. "You're Moira's daughter."

Chloe nodded wordlessly.

Jocelyn cleared her throat and stepped out of the doorway, holding the door open. "Come in."

Luke moved inside.

Chloe followed him in and looked around her curiously.

It was a nice apartment, definitely feminine and that of an artist, canvases and paintbrushes everywhere.

"I wasn't expecting company," Jocelyn mumbled as she eyed the disorder.

Chloe moved wordlessly to a half-finished painting of a large body of water, a lake of some sort. "I've seen this-been here before."

Jocelyn sent Luke a look before she grabbed a towel and wiped the paint from her hands as she moved to stand next to Chloe and eye the painting as well. "I doubt you have. That's Lake Lyn. It's in Idris."

"Oh." Right. Idris. The Shadowhunter country. There was no way that Chloe could've ever seen that body of water before, and yet something inside of her felt nostalgic and called towards the painting.

"Valentine has come out of hiding, and his sole purpose was to meet in person with Chloe." Luke spoke from behind them.

Jocelyn's green eyes widened in horror as she turned so she could look between the two of them. " _What_?"

Luke nodded. "He had her believing he was her father."

"The mundane Moira met here is her father," Jocelyn snapped angrily.

"No, he isn't." Luke delivered that with the confidence of someone who'd known this as a fact for many years. "And Valentine now knows she's full Shadowhunter. According to him, she belongs to the Morgensterns, and is his creation-the girl he'd been praying for." Luke stared darkly at Jocelyn, all sorts of unspoken words traveling between them.

All color drained from the redhead's face as she turned to Chloe with a gasp of horror. " _She didn't miscarry the baby._ " Jocelyn moved towards a chair and collapsed on it, looking bone-tired. "It all makes sense now."

Chloe looked between Jocelyn and Luke. "What does?"

"I thought she'd miscarried you, that the grief of losing yet _another_ child had made her somehow see the truth to what I kept telling her about Valentine." Jocelyn looked up at Chloe from her seat, her expression so sad. "But she didn't agree to betray Valentine and keep the Mortal Cup from him because of that. She did so because somehow she knew you were going to make it to birth." Jocelyn closed her eyes, seeming in pain. "And she knew what I'd told her about Jonathan."

"Jonathan?" Chloe once more looked between Luke and Jocelyn, lost.

Luke was silent.

Jocelyn licked her lips and opened her greens, resting them on Chloe. "My son-or what _should_ have been my son."

Chloe stared at Jocelyn in confusion. "I don't-understand."

Jocelyn turned to Luke. "What have you told her?"

"Not much, this is your story to tell, not mine." Luke fixed Jocelyn was a serious look. "But she needs to know."

Jocelyn nodded. "Of course."

Chloe felt so extremely nervous.

"First off, I suppose that I should introduce myself," the woman took in a deep breath as she stood and held her hand out to Chloe. "My name is Jocelyn Fray. I was your mother's best friend, her parabatai, and once upon a time, I was also Valentine's wife."

Chloe's eyes widened as she placed her shaky hand in Jocelyn's. "I have a feeling I'm going to need to sit down to hear this story."

Jocelyn nodded solemnly. "You probably will."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

"First last night and now again today?" Isabelle shook her head as she planted her hands on her hips. "Anyone else beginning to think this girl is hiding something?"

"Did she say anything to you before you left her in Hodge's office?" Jace wanted to know as he turned to Alec. "What did you two talk about?"

"Nothing." Alec wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Why would Chloe bolt on you guys? Are you really holding her here against her will?" Clark wanted to know, having been confined otherwise before, but this incident apparently making him have second thoughts.

"If it was up to me you could take her back home with you _now_ \- she's nothing but trouble." Alec snapped.

Clark surprised them by grinning. "Yeah, but that's one of her finer attributes."

Jace frowned at him, not liking the idea of the mundane being aware of _any_ of Chloe's attributes.

Isabelle eyed Clark. "So, what's the relationship between you two?"

"She's one of my best friends." Clark replied immediately. "Though to be honest we have a much closer relationship than that, she's even more like a little sister to me than a friend."

Alec suddenly looked up at that, visibly shaken, almost as if Clark had slapped him by saying that, but the Shadowhunter cleared his throat and shook his head. "I'll go check with the cousin. She might've gone there. You three work together and figure out what other places she might've headed to and why." With that he was gone.

Isabelle watched her brother leave before she turned her attention rapidly to Clark and sidled up towards him. "Let's get going."

He nodded, apparently oblivious to her interest.

Jace snorted and decided that Clark must be oblivious to women in general and not Chloe in particular. He then paused and realized that that didn't comfort him in the least bit.

"Where do you think Chloe would go if she wanted to run?" Isabelle asked Clark. "Or better yet, where would she feel safe? Or where would she go to think?"

"I don't know about _run_ , but she says she does some of her best thinking at the Torch." Clark offered as he looked between them. "It's in Smallville, but-."

"The _Torch_?" Jace scoffed.

"You got a better idea?" Clark raised an eyebrow.

Jace didn't, and he hated it.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

"I grew up in Idris and grew up alongside Lucian and his sister Amatis, he and I were best friends our entire lives." Jocelyn cleared her throat.

"Lucian?" Chloe asked in confusion, not bothered about interrupting so early into this explanation.

"She means me." Luke cleared his throat and drew Chloe's surprised attention to him. "My real name isn't Luke Garroway, I was born Lucian Graymark."

Chloe stared at him in shock.

"Just as my surname wasn't originally Fray but Fairchild, or your mother's Lane but Laneara. We've changed our names to protect our identities and those that we love." Jocelyn sighed and took in a deep breath as she continued her story. "When we were sixteen, we left our rural community and traveled to Alicante, the capital and only city of Idris, known as the Glass City or City of Glass, to complete our training as Shadowhunters. It was here was here that I made friends with people like Madeleine, and Moira, as we all began school together."

"Jocelyn was a natural Shadowhunter." Luke recalled with a dark chuckle. "Me on the other hand? I was way behind on my studies and couldn't even complete the simplest tasks or even bear any marks. It was… It was a dark period in my life in which I contemplated killing myself, returning home in shame, or becoming a mundane." He took in a deep breath. "And then I met Valentine and that all changed."

Chloe gulped.

"Valentine was older than all of us, in a higher grade, and when he offered to tutor me I accepted and improved. We became best friends." Luke sighed. "And then soon parabatai."

There was that word again. Parabatai. "You and Valentine, Jace and Alec, you and mom…" Chloe cleared her throat. "Do all Shadowhunters have parabatai?"

"No. It's actually less common to have them, and you have until you're eighteen to find and choose a parabatai because once you're older the ritual isn't open to you any longer." Jocelyn shook her head.

This new information helped Chloe understand the deep bonds between the players involved. "So Luke became Valentine's parabatai, and you became mom's. And somehow you joined the Circle of Raziel."

"It didn't start out as the Circle of Raziel, Valentine was just charming and had something about him that made people flock to him in great multitudes. I used to joke early on in the Circle that it was nothing more than his fan club." Jocelyn gave a wry smile as she remembered her youth. "Valentine was different back then, a different person."

"What changed him?" Chloe wanted to know.

"The death of his father." Luke's expression was grave.

"It was soon after that that he and I became romantic." Jocelyn noted. "Madeleine was the only one who disagreed with our relationship because she'd never liked Valentine, but to be truthful at the time I thought she was jealous. And then after finishing our schooling, I married Valentine. We moved into my family's manor and lived there happily, or, at least, I _thought_ we were living there happily." She brought a hand to her head. "I didn't realize that his father's death had created a deep aggression in Valentine towards Downworlders, or that the Circle or Raziel was already being formed from all of our old friends from school. He finally told me his vision of reforming the outdated and hypocritical Clave, and at the time I foolishly believed in him and his self-appointed mission."

"You weren't the only one." Luke cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. "Many of us fell into line and joined the Circle, listened to Valentine's speeches, were won over by his reasoning. The Clave _does_ have many problems with them, and Valentine had done his homework, he knew exactly what points to bring up with each person to sway them more to his side. He was, and still is, the master manipulator."

Chloe hugged herself as she tried to imagine her mother as the right-hand of such a man.

"Moira was my parabatai, and came from a very ancient, very strong Shadowhunter family. Like me, she'd taken to the Shadowhunter training like breathing, it was natural to her, and Valentine was always good to her. She'd been very withdrawn when she first arrived at the school in Alicante, and it was through Valentine that I met her and we became such close friends-that she met Michael, and even though it took forever for them to get together they were always extremely close-and she always felt that it was only thanks to Valentine that she wasn't so alone anymore." Jocelyn lowered her gaze. "She'd always been so lonely before that she felt she owed Valentine so much for giving her what her family had always denied her-closeness with other human beings-a _true_ family. She would've followed him into a raging inferno if he'd asked her to."

It hit Chloe hard in the gut to hear this, because while she'd never really known anything about her mother's family she'd never really stopped and thought it odd that they weren't in her life. The one time she'd asked about them her father had told her Moira had broken ties with her family before he met her and he hadn't been interested in finding them after she'd left, and Chloe had left it at that. But now, to hear about her mother's family, and to know that she'd grown up feeling so alone… It made something inside of the girl ache.

She was starting to see her mother in a different light, and it made her a little scared, because if she couldn't resent the woman anymore, she'd break due to her loss.

"For a while things were good, and then I became pregnant. We were so happy..." Jocelyn's expression was haunted. "What I didn't know what that the tonics Valentine kept giving me to supposedly help me with my morning sickness were laced with Downworlder and Demon blood, and that they were the reason why I was having such horribly violent hallucinations and nightmares."

Chloe's eyes widened in horror and her gaze swung to Luke in silent question, but he motioned for her to remain listening.

"I thought that it was just the pregnancy, that as soon as our baby was born I'd be okay, but then I gave birth to our son and gazed into his eyes and saw that his eyeballs were entirely black, just like a demon's." Jocelyn closed her eyes tightly against the memory. "They later changed to become human, but I knew without a doubt what Valentine must've done, and I was so scared of my husband and couldn't love my son." She brought a shaky hand to her face. "I _hated_ that child and hated _myself_ for hating him."

Seeing that Jocelyn needed a moment, that she couldn't continue, Luke turned his gaze on Chloe. "Jocelyn came to me around that time and told me about the child, about the screams she heard through the walls, and I confronted Valentine about it, but he convinced me she was suffering from some sort of postpartum depression." Luke let out a deep breath. "That same night I was led into an ambush with werewolves and attacked, he'd told me he'd back me up and since he was my parabatai I believed him, but looking back I know that he was hoping I'd die in the raid." The man's eyes were on Chloe. "Not every werewolf bite transforms you into a werewolf and so Valentine and Jocelyn kept me with them at Fairchild Manor until the next full moon, when I transformed." Luke breathed out deeply. "I remember stumbling back there the next day, Valentine ordering Jocelyn to go into the house with Jonathan, and then him giving me a dagger and telling me to kill myself." He gulped. "I ran instead, and found the werewolf who bit me. I killed him, and considering he was the alpha of the pack I expected the others to kill me because of what I'd done, but the wolves instead accepted me as their new alpha." He nodded slowly. "I stayed there as their alpha for a long time."

Chloe stared at him in shock. "You're a-?"

He nodded. "Werewolf."

"Valentine told me that Lucian- _Luke_ -had killed himself." Jocelyn had gained control over herself enough to continue with the story. "I fell into a depression, Luke had always been one of my closest friends, like the brother I'd never had, and the thought that I had just followed Valentine's orders and left Luke alone to kill himself…" she shook her head. "I had already lost one of my best friends, and suspected that it was because of what I had told him about Valentine, about Jonathan, and I spent the next couple of years trying to subtly convince Moira that we had to stop Valentine. But by then she was living with Michael and raising his son, the boy's mother having died during childbirth. Moira was the only mother that boy had ever known, and every time Moira would get pregnant it would always end in the same way, with a horrible miscarriage that left her near death herself." Jocelyn shook her head. "It got to the point where Michael begged her to forget about having their own child, but Moira-Moira loved Michael's son but had been a very lonely child and had always wanted a child of her own-true family of her own."

"Moira wouldn't hear of anyone speaking ill of Valentine, not even Jocelyn, and looking back at things now I can understand why." Luke eyed Chloe seriously. "Valentine promised her that he'd help her conceive a child that she could carry to term. One of his greatest abilities was always to scent out people's weaknesses and use them against them, and the desire to have a child was definitely what would've driven Moira more than anything else."

Jocelyn stared up at the ceiling. "I should've realized this. But I didn't. I was so wrapped up in my own situation, in mourning Luke's death, and trying to love my son while hiding everything from my parents while living under their roof-I should've been a better friend to her, and I apologize for that."

Chloe licked her lips, not sure what she could say.

"It took a very long time, but I started hearing rumors of a werewolf alpha who used to be a Shadowhunter, and I somehow knew it had to be Luke." Jocelyn's green gaze went to Luke. "I took the chance and visited him, and together we plotted against Valentine-we planned the Uprising. We contacted the warlocks, the Fair Folk and the vampires and told them to prepare, and they _were_ prepared to counter Valentine's attack on those signing the Accords of peace between the Shadowhunters and Downworlders. Moira came to us in the middle of the planning, she'd followed me one night and knew what was happening, could go back and tell Valentine everything she knew, but instead she joined our cause as well as offering the location of three warlocks she somehow knew who she believed would join our cause and be great assets: Catarina Loss, Ragnor Fell, and Magnus Bane."

Chloe's eyes widened in shock at that.

"Lucian was a little suspicious of her, thought that Valentine might've sent her to spy on us, but I could see something broken and determined in Moira's eyes, and recognized it as the look in my own eyes when I looked in the mirror. I knew she was telling the truth, that she wanted to help. Plus, she was my parabatai, and I would always trust her." Jocelyn gave a soft smile. "She won Luke over. The day of the signing of the Accord came, and when the Circle attacked, the Downworlders we'd summoned were ready to counterattack. Luke and Valentine fought, but Valentine threw my silver necklace at Luke and it burnt him-and Valentine used that moment to disappear. I knew, somehow _I knew_ -and we left the battle immediately, returning to my home to find it in flames." Jocelyn cleared her throat. "I found the bodies of my parents, my son, and Valentine in the ruins of my home, but deep down inside I knew that Valentine was alive."

"Moira had managed to steal the Cup from Valentine without his knowledge before the fight, and she and Jocelyn left together, I didn't know until later that they'd come to Metropolis." Luke declared. "I stayed behind in Idris for a while before I searched for them and later found Jocelyn, who by that time was living alone."

"Moira took it harder than I did-betraying the man she loved and leaving the boy she'd raised." Jocelyn cleared her throat. "She was inconsolable for weeks before she finally stopped crying and seemed more like herself. I was so relieved." Jocelyn closed her eyes. "Moira also didn't believe Valentine was dead-it was too convenient, and she came up with the perfect way to protect the Cup."

Chloe tensed. "That's what he's looking for-why his man attacked my uncle's place and were going through my mother's books."

"They were looking for the card." Jocelyn leaned forwards. "I have a special ability, few Shadowhunters possess rare abilities, and mine is that I can… hide things in paintings."

Chloe's gaze went to the painting of the lake.

Jocelyn's lips twitched with her first smile since they'd arrived. "That is just a normal painting-although the fact that you, even if for a second, wondered if I'd hidden a real lake in there, really strokes my ego."

Chloe blushed in embarrassment and lowered her gaze.

"Moira's plan was ingenious. It was two-fold. We both knew that if Valentine was alive he'd come looking for us, and with her plan he couldn't get the Cup. If he got me he wouldn't have the Cup or the location of the Cup. If he got _her_ he would have the Cup, but no way to get in because-."

"You put it in a picture." Chloe's eyes widened in understanding.

"Exactly." Jocelyn smiled softly at her. "He would be thwarted one way or the other." She then sighed. "We parted ways and severed all connection with each other so that if Valentine found one of us, he wouldn't be able to track the other so closely. It was only when, years later, Luke found us both that we were able to get information and updates on each other through _him_. But even then, when I let slip to him where I lived, Moira was resolute in making sure that there was no Shadowhunter or Downworlder who knew that information about _her_." She paused. "I thought she was protecting the Cup's hiding place, but I realize now that she was protecting _you_. The Cup was just an excuse." She sighed. "I wish she'd felt that she could've told me the truth, but I don't blame her for not doing so. She'd heard me talk about my son-and if Valentine truly experimented on her like he did on me-she knew what my reaction would've been like to find out that she was carrying a child of Valentine's madness."

Chloe gulped, especially considering that _she_ was the child that Jocelyn was talking about. "So you really don't think I'm Valentine's child?"

Jocelyn shook her head. "Despite all the many things he's been, Valentine was never unfaithful. He loved me intensely, with a love that was unlike any I've ever experienced or ever will again, but that doesn't excuse what he did." She hugged herself. "He used to tell me that Morgernstern men only ever loved one woman, and that once they set their eyes on that woman the woman had no chance to escape. No matter how far they ran, the man would find them, wear them down, and make them theirs."

Chloe frowned. "That sounds like a hunt if you ask me, and not a courtship."

Jocelyn snorted in dark amusement.

Even Luke looked amused. "What do you think courtships are? The ultimate hunt with the greatest prize of all."

Chloe eyed them with a frown but she guessed she could see the reasoning behind that.

"But that doesn't mean to say that you don't belong to the Morgenstern family somehow." Jocelyn's words chilled her to the bone. "Luke said when you arrived that Valentine told you that he'd been praying for you, or, in fact, for a "girl child"." She raised an eyebrow. "He'd created my son, his first creation, and killed him in the fire in an obvious effort to punish me for turning on him… But now, with you and whatever it is that you have in your veins… _You're a girl_ , a _woman_." Jocelyn stared at her in her eyes. "Who knew what experiments my husband conducted, what he did to you? But he could've very well used darkest magic to bind you to his house, if only for the purpose of breeding."

Chloe felt sick to her stomach. "You think-?"

"We lost our son in the fire, but you, _you_ could give birth to more of those hell-children and make his death not matter in Valentine's overall endgame." Jocelyn frowned at Chloe. "Or he could've done something entirely different to you, we don't know. All I know is that if Valentine wants you we need to make sure that he doesn't get you." She turned to Luke. "She needs to be protected. We need to protect her."

"I was hoping you'd say that." Luke looked relieved and visibly relaxed, almost as if he'd half been expecting Jocelyn to say something else entirely. "We'll have some problems, the Institute seems to have her under lock and key. She ran away to be able to confront me when she found a picture of me in the Circle of Raziel, so they will know she's gone and will be looking for her."

Jocelyn nodded as she stood. "We're going to need to work together if we're to figure out what Moira did with the Mortal Cup." She took in a deep breath. "I think it's time I came out of hiding."


	12. That Old Star Wars Confession

"First thing's first." Jocelyn was getting her things ready. "We need to go to your house to see if we can find where Moira hid the card that I placed the Cup in."

Luke frowned. "I should go and do that. You two should stay away from there, Valentine has already been to Chloe's house and other than the Mortal Cup the two of you are what he wants the most. We shouldn't put all three things he desires under one roof."

Jocelyn looked like she wanted to argue but couldn't, the woman nodding. "Be careful."

Luke smirked as he turned to leave. "Of course."

Chloe moved to go with him.

He stopped and turned to look at her. "And where do you think you're going?"

"My father was beaten up by that insane lunatic, I need to check up on him. _Plus,_ you wouldn't even know where to start looking." Chloe raised an eyebrow. "I'm coming along."

"If she's going, then so am I." Jocelyn placed her hands on her hips. "You can't keep an eye on her _and_ look for the Cup all on your own. Plus, if you find it, you'll need me there to free it, so I'm going too. I won't be left behind."

Luke looked between the females' resolute expressions before he gazed up at the ceiling in despair. "Thank the Angel Lois isn't here, because I couldn't handle another stubborn woman throwing herself recklessly and head-first into danger." He turned to Jocelyn and Chloe. "Come on, if you both get killed or kidnapped it's your own damned faults."

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"So, have you reconsidered your attraction now that you've seen what he drives?"

Isabelle flipped her adopted brother the finger as she looked around the bustling school parking lot, at the teenagers walking to and fro, giving them strange glances. They'd decided not to use their invisibility runes since they were working with Clark and he wouldn't be able to see them, but with all the looks they were getting she almost wished that they had. She was used to getting looks because she was hot, not because she was weird, and the expressions on those people's faces definitely said they thought she and Jace were weird- _hot_ but weird.

"Okay, this way." Clark arrived by their side, having been locking up the truck.

Isabelle eyed Chloe's mundane friend in curiosity and intrigue as they followed him through the throng of students, who parted and let them pass.

Clark was visibly uncomfortable with all the attention on them as he called out to someone. "Hey, Greg, have you seen Chloe?"

"No, she's been MIA, you should know that better than anyone else. Anyway, she needs to get back soon if she wants there to be a newspaper left when she returns, or staff, for that matter." The pimple-faced, bespectacled boy shook his head and continued on wherever he'd been going.

Clark sighed as he moved on, searching through the crowd before he caught the eye of a seriously hot guy. "Hey! Van! Have you seen Chloe here today?"

Van shook his head in answer and was about to turn his head back to talk to his friend when he thought of something and hurried over. "Wait, does this mean she's supposed to be back?"

Clark blinked, obviously not having expected Van to come up and talk. "I-."

"Because, seriously, ever since Principal Kwan asked Lana to take over the Torch in her absence those computers have been suffering. I don't know what the heck that girl is doing." Van snorted. "Then again she _is_ a cheerleader." He smirked and ignored the dark look that crossed Clark's face at that comment. "Tell Chloe to get her butt back soon or I'm quitting taking care of those computers because it's only a matter of time before they crash and I can't do anything about it." With that he left.

Jace frowned as he watched the guy go, he opened his mouth.

"Clark!" A new voice yelled as a cute blonde guy hurried towards them. "I heard Chloe's name. _Please_ tell me she's back."

Jace clamped his mouth shut.

"Hey Gabriel." Clark gave him a nervous little smile. "We're not too sure…"

"Tell her she _needs_ to come back, the Smallville Torch isn't the same without her. We all need her there!" Gabriel reached out and grabbed Clark by the shoulders. " _Desperately_."

"I'll, uh, tell her." Clark cleared his throat.

"Good." Gabriel nodded before his gaze went to Jace and Isabelle, he nodded a hello, and then left.

Isabelle really hadn't taken the time to get to know Chloe while the girl was self-exiled in her room in the Institute, but she was beginning to wish she had, because so far every single guy they'd met (be he cute or not) seemed desperate to get the girl back. Sure, it didn't seem romantic, but that was what made it more intriguing to Isabelle. Guys looked at her and they saw a pretty face, and while they knew that she was a warrior she always had a feeling that her looks… But these guys apparently worked in the department that did the chronicling for the archives on the potential new species of Downworlders, and Chloe seemed to not only to be their leader, but they seemed to recognize that they couldn't function without said leadership. That… That sort of recognition, that was something she craved.

They moved into the building, having to move around the tilling mob, and Isabelle eyed the students, especially the girls, in intrigue. There was _no way_ she'd ever dress girly like these ones. She-she was a warrior, the Shadowhunter garb-it was what felt most comfortable and natural to her.

They neared a door in time for it to be thrown open, and an angry guy stormed out, the guy only stopping his stalking when he noticed Clark and turning his trajectory to take him towards the guy. "You tell Chloe that when she gets back I'll rejoin the Torch, until then, the Nash is done with this whole damn thing."

Clark's eyes widened. "You quit? But Brendan, you're the best-!"

"Remind Chloe of that!" Brendan snapped as he continued storming away.

Clark stared after him in visible horror. "Chloe's going to have a heart attack when she finds out that Brendan Nash quit. Do you know how _long_ it took her to convince him to join the Smallville Torch as a part of the staff?" He turned to look at the door in worry and went to open it, voices heard from inside.

"Not you too, Justin." A female voice begged. "I can't have you and Brendan quit on me. I need you both to help keep the Torch running and the pages full!"

"Well, you didn't seem to have a problem doing so when you kept _not_ finding space to put my comics in the Torch because your football and cheerleader buddies wanted more advertising space for their parties and important stuff like that." Justin replied hotly. "I'm out of here, I have a Chem test I need to take." He grabbed his bag and stopped when he saw Clark, moving towards him and shoving something into his hand. "This usb has all of my work up to date that hasn't been used. Give it to Chloe when you see her. She'll fix things when she gets back." And with that he shouldered passed them and left the room.

The girl in the room with them, getting the brunt of all the male anger, let out a cry as she sat down heavily on the seat. " _How did Chloe do this_?"

Clark moved towards her. "You're-you're doing Principal Kwan a favor, Lana, and you're doing a good job."

She snorted in derision at that. "She made it look so easy, but it isn't. Everyone complains! No matter what you write or publish, no matter how nice you try to be, there will always be hate mail! Always be someone complaining about you and how you run things!" She threw her hands in the air. "She needs to come back soon before I go insane! I can't do this! I can't fill Chloe Sullivan's shoes and I'm going insane just _trying_ to! And my friends keep trying to pressure me to use the Torch like some sort of physical facebook page of theirs…" She gave a cry as she covered her face with her hands. "I find it very hard to say no to them, and the staff really don't like me because of it."

"Lana…" Clark sighed and went over to rub her shoulder. "I'm sure Chloe would be grateful for all your help during her absence."

"Are you kidding me?" Lana snorted and pulled her hands away from her face. "This place is her baby! When she sees just how down the drain it's gotten under my care I'm going to have to dye my hair blonde and move to China!"

"That'll just make you stand out more." Isabelle finally spoke, eyebrow raised as she eyed the interaction between Clark and Lana.

Lana seemed to only then notice them, and wiped at her eyes with the heel of her hands as she looked between Isabella and Jace before pausing on Jace, her eyes wide and face a visible blush. "Uh, _hi_."

Clark tensed and turned to look back at Jace.

"She obviously isn't here." Jace turned to look at the articles pasted on the walls. "This was a waste of time."

Lana hurriedly got to her feet and cleared her throat. "I'm Lana."

Isabelle raised an eyebrow when she noticed Clark look away, clearly jealous and insecure. So there definitely wasn't anything between him and Chloe, and it was because of this _Lana_ girl, who didn't notice him as a guy but as a friend, and seemed to have the hots for Jace, who was completely ignoring her.

Jace turned to Isabelle. "We should try her house. It's a longshot, but we're in Smallville-and she _was_ there last night."

Isabelle felt vicious amusement at the tangled web of emotions in front of her. "What are we waiting on?"

Jace turned and stalked out of the room.

Isabelle did the same before she turned and peered back inside. "Let's go, Clark."

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Her father wasn't home. That shouldn't surprise her given the fact that he was never there to begin with, but still, Chloe had hoped he would be home resting so she could talk to him about what had happened the night before. She'd thrown herself into her task, searching for this _card_ that supposedly held the Mortal Cup, but so far Luke, Jocelyn and her hadn't been able to find anything of interest, except for her mother's box.

Jocelyn held it in her arms, a sad smile on her face. "This was mine, I have Moira's in my apartment."

Chloe looked up at that.

"Inside is engraved the oath we took when we became parabatai, as well as other things." Jocelyn hugged the box to herself. "I figured she'd gotten rid of it, considering she was living the life of a mundane."

"Mom used to pull this out and wish out loud that someone was safe, I caught her doing it a couple of times but never confronted her about it." Chloe admitted. "She might've left you to keep me safe, but she was always worried about you."

Jocelyn smiled and placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder. "You have a kind heart."

Chloe was shocked at this as she looked up at the woman who had left her own son, had hated him, because he had whatever could be in Chloe's veins. And yet she was being nice to Chloe, was actually touching her. "I don't know about that."

Jocelyn chuckled. "You're so much like Moira. Not physically, not really, but your mannerisms are just like hers."

Chloe blinked, never having expected to hear that, tears coming to her eyes unexpectedly and she cleared her throat as she looked away to try and hide them. She wasn't sure how to feel about all of this. She was still processing the fact that everything she'd thought she'd known about her mother were lies, still battling the resentment that she'd grown up with, and still coming to terms with the harsh sense of guilt and loss within her.

"Look at this." Luke's voice brought the females' attentions to him as they moved to where he stood.

Chloe and Jocelyn moved on Luke's side, their green eyes widening as they saw what was there.

"She spilled her blood on it and then hid it in such an impossible place so I'd be the only one able to find it." Luke gave a dark smile. "She was always so smart and able to think much farther ahead than most."

"How did she know that you'd be here looking with me?" Chloe wanted to know.

"It's probably one of the reasons why she brought you to Luke's store since you were a child, to engender a closeness between the two of them so that if a situation like this were to happen, you'd eventually go to him for help." Jocelyn shook her head as she hugged the box to her chest. "Smart."

"But it's not the Cup." Chloe stared at the picture of Moira, a handsome man, and a young blonde boy. Moira's blood had been smeared in the shape of a rune on the back of the photo. "What rune is that?"

"It's called Loyal To." Jocelyn responded softly. "It's a permanent rune of loyalty that binds a Shadowhunter to whoever has placed the Mark on them."

"So it's like a wedding rune?" Chloe asked.

"No, our 'wedding rune' is called the Wedded Union." Jocelyn shook her head. "It's another permanent Mark, this one made on the back of the hands of the Shadowhunters to be 'wedded', binding the pair in matrimony, and once the Marks are made the Nephilim are considered married." Her eyes were on the picture. "This was Moira's way of showing, even if only to herself, that even if she had to betray and leave them behind, she was loyal to Michael and his son. Even if only in her heart."

Chloe's heart went out for her mother, for the suffering the woman must have gone through silently and alone all those years. "If she hadn't gotten pregnant with me she wouldn't have had to leave them like she did."

Luke turned to Chloe. "Moira _loved_ you, I know that while she must've mourned their loss, she loved you more than she loved them-loved herself."

Chloe looked up at Luke, feeling worse.

Luke narrowed his eyes and turned towards the door. "There's someone here."

Jocelyn yanked out an angel blade, eyes narrowed. "The mundane Moira married?"

Luke shook his head as he put the picture into his pocket and turned towards the door as he pushed Chloe behind him protectively.

Suddenly creatures burst through the windows around them, sending glass flying.

Chloe cried out and raised her hand to cover her face to protect her eyes from the flying shards as thuds hit the ground all around them. She then pulled her hand from her face and looked up at the sound of something heavy dragging, slithering towards them. Her eyes widened in horror at her first view of what was around her, crouched against the floor. They were long, scaly creatures with a cluster of flat black eyes set dead center in the front of their domed skulls. They almost looked like the result of something a mad scientist would get if he crossed an alligator with a centipede. The creatures had thick, flat snouts and barbed tails that whipped menacingly from side to side, as well as multiple legs bunched underneath it as they visibly readied to spring themselves at the three.

These monsters were a sight that would haunt her nightmares for years to come.

It was all she could do not to scream, not to do anything to excite these monsters more than they already were.

Luke snarled, seeming half-turned.

Jocelyn tightened her grip on her seraph blade. "Nuriel!" The Shadowhunter yelled as she activated the power within her blade.

Low growls bubbled from the throats of those around them, and it took a moment for Chloe to realize that those noises were actually garbled words.

" _Flesh. Blood. To eat, oh, to eat_." It seemed like a mantra to these creatures. " _Bones, to crunch, to suck out the marrow, to drink the veins…_ " The creatures seemed almost in a frenzy at this thought. " _To eat, to eat,"_ they moaned in despair. " _But we are not allowed to swallow, to savor_." And then they murmured: " _Valentine was not specific. He said not to kill the girl who lived in this house. We will leave her, eat the other two, Valentine will not be angry._ " Their jaws opened slowly, showing roads of fanged teeth spilling greenish liquid.

"Chloe, run." Jocelyn narrowed her eyes at the creatures. "Run as fast as you can. _Now_."

"But they're not trying to kill _me_." Chloe whispered in terror, unable to move.

Luke sent her a sideways look, expression fierce. " _ **Go**_!"

Something in his voice sent her moving, the girl turning and racing out of there as the first creature lunged at the two, followed by more.

The girl raced towards the front door before she heard a snarl from behind her, a werewolf snarl.

She turned at the sound, eyes wide, but then she realized that she wasn't alone, some of those things had gotten passed Jocelyn and Luke and were slithering out towards her.

One lunged and flew over her head, landing hard on the front door and caging her inside. " _Girl_ ," it hissed, its putrid breath on her face.

Chloe shrieked and stumbled away as she hurried up the stairs, the creatures seeming to be herding her, like predators cornering their prey. She made it to her room and slammed the door shut in time for those things to lunge onto the wood of the door, attacking it, the material obviously not going to hold long against the deadly assaults.

She backed away slowly as the door began to crack visibly, the blonde gulping as she looked around her for something to use as a weapon. Her room had nothing that could be used! It horrified her to realize just how unprotected she was.

Down below, she could hear Jocelyn cry out.

Luke roared.

Chloe's eyes widened in horror.

Were they okay? They were battling these things while she hid in fear, and the guilt and shame rolled up in her stomach but she was too afraid-the wood of her bedroom door finally broke inwards to reveal a face with rows of fangs smiling menacingly at her.

She grabbed a pen from off the desk and held it in her hand, tightly. They'd said amongst themselves that they wouldn't kill her but their actions spoke otherwise, and if she was going to die she'd stab up some of them while doing so.

Then again, would the pen even pierce their scaly skin or just break on impact?

The girl gulped loudly and pressed herself back hard against the desk.

Chloe watched in horror as the door was torn to pieces and five of those things slithered in.

They surrounded her on either side, slowly approaching her on every side before one lunged at the girl and knocked her to the ground, pinning her under its massive girth. Its legs pushed her hands and legs down, keeping her immobile underneath it as it stared down at her.

" _So hungry,_ " it groaned.

" _Valentine will never know_." The others coaxed as they drew nearer.

"Don't touch-get-!" Chloe froze as she stared into those eyes and a flash of something, someone, crossed before her vision. It was so quick and fleeting she could only make out white-blonde hair and dark eyes.

Had-had that been Valentine?

The creatures froze in shock all around her before suddenly a howl of agony pierced the air behind them, followed by another and another and another. She couldn't see what was happening due to being pinned down and the blinding disorientation, but she noticed it through her haze when a seraph blade sliced down and beheaded the one holding her down, a booted-foot kicking its remains off of her.

Chloe stared up dazedly up into the grim face of Jace Wayland.

He knelt by her. "Were you hurt?"

She let out a half-sob as terror welled up inside of her throat, and she flung her arms around his neck, trembling.

Jace tensed for a split second before his arms wrapped around her. "It's okay. You're safe. I'll always protect you."

The blonde clung tightly to him.

_I'll always protect you._

She closed her eyes tightly.

_I'll always protect you._

Jace pulled away far enough to stare into her face, his molten gold eyes seeming to want to make sure she was fine as they surveyed her. He then slid his fingers into her hair and cupped the back of her head before bringing her to him, his lips moving over hers in a mystifying mixture of harshness and tenderness. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, opening her mouth to his kiss and urging him to take it deeper.

He followed the silent command hungrily, pulling her flush to him as his mouth claimed hers, sending chills and fire racing down her spine.

Chloe let out a cry into his mouth, her body trembling as she reached up and grabbed painful fistfuls of his hair.

He groaned as he tightened his grip on her, his kiss growing desperate as he began to lower her to the ground.

Jocelyn's face flashed in Chloe's mind. _Your father, Michael Wayland_.

Giving a cry of horror, Chloe pushed Jace away as she brought a hand to her mouth. What-what had she just been-how could she have forgotten this already? Shame filled her because as she stared at him, and saw the way he stared back, what she felt wasn't the disgust she knew _she should_. Instead, it was a burning, all-consuming need to straddle his lap and kiss him harder.

"We can't." The girl looked away when Jace moved to touch her, her chest rising and falling with her erratic breaths. "Jace-I've just found out something." She licked her lips and turned her self-pitying gaze towards him. "And because of what I just found out-what just happened between us _can never_ happen again."

His eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "I didn't know until today-I shouldn't have kissed you two seconds ago-I'm so sorry!"

Jace moved closer on his knees, face fierce. "Speak clearly." There was movement at the door and Jace grabbed his discarded seraph blade, turning it towards the door. "Who are you and what have you done to her?"

"You saved her." Jocelyn raised an eyebrow as she stared at the teary-eyed girl and the bodies of the dead creatures around her. "Thank you." She took in a deep breath. "I am Jocelyn Fray. And you are?"

His eyes narrowed. "Jace Wayland."

Jocelyn's eyes widened and those greens turned to Chloe. "You didn't tell me you knew your brother!"

Jace froze.

Chloe pushed back the desire to cry. "I was trying to digest the fact that that's what he is."

Jace turned a horrified expression on her. " _ **I'm not your brother**_." He shook his head in denial. "My mother died when I was born. I don't have-."

Chloe turned to him. "I'm your _half_ sister, Jace." She took in a deep breath. "Your father... _Our_ father... He didn't even know my mother was pregnant with me."

He stared at her in silence, all the horror and conflicting emotions she was feeling at the revelation visible ten-times worse in his golden eyes.


	13. Conflicting Theories

_**She's your** _ _**sister** _ **.**

Those words rang with condemnation in Jace's mind as he stood in the background, arms folded over his chest as Luke Garroway, a Downworlder, and Jocelyn Fray explained everything to them.

"Normally I wouldn't trust anyone connected to the Clave - we don't know who is on Valentine's side - but you're Chloe's brother and have proven you are capable and willing to protect her." Jocelyn eyed him, ignoring Isabelle and Clark, acknowledging Jace's leadership of the group. She was a perceptive woman.

_**You're Chloe's brother.** _

"Of course we'll protect her." Jace's voice was emotionless as his gaze went to Chloe, who was pale as she stood next to Clark.

No.

 _No_.

She could _not_ be his sister.

He wouldn't accept that!

There was no way that he could feel the way he did for his own flesh and blood!

Chloe's green gaze found his before she quickly looked away and grabbed onto Clark's arm, visibly seeking comfort.

The mundane stared down at her in question before he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Something dark coiled in Jace's stomach at the sight and he wanted nothing more than to go over there and rip the boy's arm off for touching her.

_**Your** _ _**sister.** _

No.

She _couldn't_ be his sister. He'd _never_ accept that.

And he was going to do all in his power to convince _her_ of the same before this ruined the progress they'd been making up to this point.

Chloe leaned her head against Clark as Isabelle asked something.

Jace bit back a snarl.

_**Not my sister.** _

_**Not my sister.** _

_**NOT MY SISTER!** _

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"So," Magnus eyed Alec with a smirk on his face as they waited for Lois to get ready. "You've lost our girl."

"Considering she ran away I didn't _lose_ anyone." Alec looked up at a painting of Magnus wrestling a matador while a bull gazed on in approval. "Innocent people don't run."

"They do when they are being held against their will and just want to be free."

Alec flinched. "I'm not holding her there. If it was up to me she'd be anywhere but the Institute."

"I know you realize that even if she leaves, he'll never love you the way you want him to." Magnus tilted his head to the side as he observed the younger male. "You're just fixated on getting her out of the picture due to denial, but you and I have both seen the way that boy looks at her, and both know that he'll never look at you that way." Magnus pursed his lips. "Truth be told I'm actually a little worried for the kitten where your Shadowhunter friend is concerned, I don't think she has a choice on if she ends up with him or not. He looks the type to make sure he gets whatever he wants, and she's obviously what he wants." Those cat-eyes turned on Alec. "Your feelings, especially the hurt, are just keeping you from seeing what's obvious, or, better said, from _accepting the unavoidable_."

"My feelings?" Alec tightened his hands into fists. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I get it, the Shadowhunters aren't an accepting bunch." Magnus raised an eyebrow while he shrugged indifferently. "It's not exactly forbidden, what you want, it's more of an embarrassment, a "don't ask, don't tell" situation, isn't it? I could never be a Shadowhunter, even if I'd been mundane and given the choice." He made a face. "I'm very much into asking and damn, do I tell."

Alec didn't understand how the warlock could be so nonchalant about this. "I'm not in love with Jace."

"Of course you aren't." Magnus snorted at the very thought as he stood gracefully. "You love him and know he loves you back as a brother, he's your parabatai. But you are not in love with him because you're smart enough to know he'll never be in love with you."

It was seriously hard to hear this, especially coming from this strange stranger of all people. "Don't act like you know me."

"I don't," Magnus agreed. "But I've lived long and have experienced much. You're not the only one who has gone through similar situations."

Alec gulped, suddenly wanting to ask about these 'similar situations' and how they'd worked out, but not about to do so and give in, even if a little, to the older man.

"You're _really_ cute when you're fighting yourself." Magnus suddenly announced, all serious gone and replaced by complete flirtation.

Alec had no idea how to handle the warlock when he was like this, and shifted his weight on his feet nervously.

Magnus merely grinned. "You're seriously my type, it's really too bad."

"You're not _my_ type." Alec wondered if he'd said that too quickly, but kept his chin high. "And I don't care what your type is."

"Sure you do, you're extremely curious right now." Magnus grinned brightly.

A muscle ticked in Alec's cheek. "Now listen here, don't be thrusting your perversions onto me. I'm not-."

"When I thrust my _anything_ onto you, you'll know." Magnus winked. "I think you like to be quiet, that you're the type to bite down on your bottom lip to hush any noise you make." His face was pure evil. "But deep down inside, I think you want to scream and scratch your nails down someone's back, my back, if I get my way-and it's been known to happen."

Alec knew he was flushed scarlet and hated it. "I can't believe you just said that."

"Then you obviously have not read any of the books in his library that are _not_ magic related," a new voice announced as Lois appeared, face grim despite the flash of amusement in her eyes. "Pretty Boy Blue, I'd just give in if I were you."

He opened and closed his mouth in indignation. "I-I will do no such thing!"

"I was half hoping you'd say that." Lois grinned evilly. "I'll enjoy watching the chase."

"You're a woman after my own heart." Magnus brought his hand to his heart. "What did I ever do before I met you?"

"You threw elaborate parties for your cat, who ran and hid until all the Downworlders disappeared and the party was over." Lois raised an eyebrow. "You seriously needed me, or at least Chairman Meow did."

Magnus grinned before he clapped his hands. "Well, you two be good now, and when you find our little stray kitten-."

"Put a bell around her neck, I'm _way_ ahead of you." Lois raised an eyebrow. "There a spell for that? Can we magick some cute kitten bells around her neck, make it look like a necklace or something, so we can find this girl when she runs off next? Because I doubt the Shadowhunters are gonna be able to keep a hold of her for long. They seem unreliable."

"Hey!" Alec cried out, offended.

"You're the one who lost her," Lois raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't have the right to say anything."

"I didn't _lose_ her. She's not a book or weapon I put down and then can't remember the location of." Alec couldn't get how they couldn't see that. "I took her to Hodge's office and she split! That's it!"

"If she had already snuck out the night before, as you said, you should've been keeping a better eye on her!" Lois threw her hands in the air. "Seriously, you dudes don't know how to take care of my cousin and I'm about to barge in there and steal her away so she _can_ be safe."

Alec narrowed his eyes on her, but she had a point in the first part of her rant, so he pushed back his argument. "Are you going to help me find her or are you going to tell me off some more for losing her?"

Lois, obviously pleased he'd admitted to losing her cousin, took in a deep breath. "I'm being _magnanimous_ today, and Magnus assures me I should help you guys find Chloe instead of sneaking off and doing so on my own, so I'll just help you." She took in a deep breath, hands on her hips. "The only other place I can think that she'd go to is Luke's."

"Luke?" Alec asked in confusion.

Lois took in a deep breath and nodded. "Come on, I'll take you there."

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"So, this must be hard for you." Jocelyn eyed her as they continued to search the house, the two females in Chloe's room while Luke, Clark, Isabelle and Jace searched other parts of the house for more clues. "You didn't even know you had a brother."

Chloe didn't want to talk about this, but she nodded nonetheless. "At least he and I get along… Kinda..."

Jocelyn's lips twitched. "True, that's better than many siblings can say." She eyed the girl. "He seems to care about you. I'm glad that you and he were able to be friends before you found out about your connection or things might have been awkward. Imagine if you knew each other and hated each other? That would make this revelation so much harder to swallow."

Oh, Chloe was finding it hard to swallow.

"Has he told you about Michael?" Jocelyn asked suddenly.

"Some." Chloe nodded, remembering the conversation where Jace shared his secret with her, where he was going to kill Valentine for ordering his father's death. "He sounded like a nice enough guy."

"He was." Jocelyn took in a deep breath. "Luke told me that Moira blamed herself for Michael's death. When she heard that he had been killed she told Luke that it was Valentine's way of getting back at her."

Chloe felt frozen in horror. Her mother was responsible for Jace's father's death?

"She'd thought that by leaving them behind Valentine would see that they had nothing to do with her plot, that it would keep them safe should things not work out how we wanted and he survived the Uprising, but he still took his revenge on them since he couldn't do so on her." Jocelyn closed her eyes. "Sometimes I find it hard to reconcile that monster with the man I married."

"I'm glad he's not my biological father." Chloe made a face. "Though how I could somehow belong to his family despite not being a Morgenstern is confusing."

"Like I said, we don't know the depths of the black dealings he was involved with or what he did to you." Jocelyn stared at Chloe as if she somehow might hold the answers to everything. "Though, if he sent his demons here to kill us, maybe you're expendable in his eyes as well."

Chloe opened her mouth to say that the demons had been acting contrary to Valentine's orders when they'd attacked her.

….

_He studied over the darkest arcane knowledge, knowing he'd crossed the point of no return a very long ago and not caring. Every couple of minutes he'd look up at the Mortal Cup as it sat on a pedestal, his inspiration. Why had the Downworlders, the children of the damned, been gifted with so many amazing gifts while they, the chosen of the Angels, been so limited? There had to be a reason for it, Jonathan Shadowhunter and the warlock Elphas must've asked for it somehow, even if it hadn't been recorded in any archive that he'd found. He needed to know, needed to_ _**understand** _ _. There was just too much he didn't understand._

_It was another reason why he performed these tests, why he studied each stillborn, calculated and tried to_ _**understand** _ _. So far he knew more, understood more, but he was still confused, still had too many questions, questions he feared only the Angel Raziel could answer him at this point._

_A knock sounded at the door._

_He took in a deep breath and closed the book he was reading as he looked up. "Come in."_

_She entered, his prize guinea pig, the one who was helping him advance in his quest for knowledge, even when she didn't even know it. "You called for me?"_

_He nodded and reached for the container holding the newest concoction, one that he was most eager to see the results in the dead fetus when she eventually miscarried it. "I think I may have had a breakthrough. Try these, take three daily, morning, midday, and right before you go to bed at night."_

_She stared at the vials in sadness, a hand to her stomach. "How many near breakthroughs have we had?" She closed her eyes. "I do not know if I can survive another miscarriage."_

_He pushed the container filled with vials towards her. "This time it will be different, this time it won't die." He needed her to believe that so she'd take the vials religiously, and once the child was miscarried, he could study its remains. It would shed light on all sorts of mysteries to him._

_She took in a deep breath and nodded as she took the container, closing the lid on the vials. "I hope by the Angel that you are right."_

_"By the Angel…" he mulled over that with a wry smile on his face, never realizing that this time the child she'd conceive would survive its mother's womb._

...

Chloe gasped as her eyes flew open and she cried out as her head pierced her with throbbing pain, the girl trying to sit up.

"Don't." Jace was there, blood staining his shirt as he stared down at her and brushed her hair out of her face. "We should never have gone to see the Silent Brothers."

"No use crying over that right now, it'll just give me a worse headache then what I already have." Chloe leaned into the touch, her eyes fluttering closed. "I probably look like crap, huh?"

"Definitely."

She gave a little snort of laughter and then cried out when it hurt.

"Just… _stop_ … _**everything**_." He reached over and rested his palm over her forehead, his touch cool and refreshing. "You have a bit of a fever."

"I was out a long time, huh?" Chloe opened her eyes with a sigh. "I'm back at the Institute." She raised an eyebrow. "Hodge must be _unhappy_ with me."

His lips pulled in a small smirk. "I think he's too busy dealing with the werewolf, self-exiled Shadowhunter, and pissed off mundanes in meeting with him right now to even have time to be "unhappy" with you."

"Mundanes?" Chloe asked softly.

"Alec went to look for you at Magnus', and Lois left with him to help track you down. She came in, took one look at you, and grabbed Alec by the shirt and ordered him to take her 'to our leader'. I haven't seen hide or hair of her since." Jace shrugged.

"So they're having a huge war talk and you're stuck here babysitting me while I sleep?" She could feel the headache slowly beginning to leave.

"Someone has to sacrifice themselves for the common good." He shrugged. "You're a necessary evil and I brought you here so you're my responsibility."

"A necessary evil?" She raised an eyebrow.

His lips twitched. "A very attractive, though highly frustrating, necessary evil. Do you like that description any better?"

"Not really. I might've gotten attractive, but I also became frustrating, so they cancel each other out and I'm left with being a necessary evil again."

He shook his head. "You never _are_ happy!"

Chloe's lips twitched this time. "Thank you, for putting up with this necessary evil."

Jace stared down at her, all amusement disappearing. "You realize it's a lie, don't you?"

She smirked. "I'd hope so! I don't like being called a necessary evil!"

His expression went soft and amused for a second before it went stony and dark again. "I meant what you told me today."

Chloe gulped as she looked up at him. "This is part of the reason you stayed with me, isn't it? You wanted to talk about this in private."

"I would've stayed to watch over you even if you hadn't spouted such nonsense." He glared as he stood above her, hands folded over his chest. "You're not my sister."

"I am-."

" _No_." He snapped viciously, golden eyes flashing. "You're _not_."

She stared up at him, something coiling in her stomach. "I get it, I get that this messed with your image of your dad-believe me, this messes with my image of my mom too, though in my case I suppose it's more positively given the fact that I-."

"It has nothing to do with our parents." Jace interrupted curtly. "We're not siblings, and I think there's more to that story than you all told us at your house."

There was. Jocelyn and Luke had never mentioned Valentine's visiting Chloe's house the night before or what he'd told her.

Jace reached out and grabbed Chloe's chin, turning her to face him, and only then did she realize that she'd looked away. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I'm your sister, Jace." She stared up at him.

Something shifted in his eyes before he tightened his grip on her chin and swooped down to kiss her, hard, his mouth moving over hers defiantly before he pulled away. " _No you're not._ " His narrowed golds stared deep into her wide greens. "If you were my sister I'd know, I'd feel brotherly towards you. I _wouldn't_ want you."

Chloe's eyes widened further and her face flushed a dark scarlet. "Don't say anything you can't take back, you idiot!"

"I'm not, I wouldn't take back what I said." He leaned back in, his lips just a breath away from hers as he whispered against them. "You're not my sister… And I _want_ you. I've wanted you from the moment I first saw you and looked into your eyes."

Chloe gulped, able to remember that night so well. "Jace, please, don't do this."

"Do what?" He moved to whisper in her ear. "What am I doing?"

She closed her eyes against the feeling. "I've met Valentine."

He froze and pulled away, his eyes wide. " _What_? **When**?"

"Last night." She opened her eyes, her heart racing at the closed-off look on his face. "The text I received was from my father's phone, but it had a picture of my father tied up and beaten. I knew that it was someone else sending it, but I figured that it was one of Valentine's goons, not that he would be there himself."

"What did he want?" Jace's face was emotionless, as was his voice.

"The Mortal Cup, which I don't know where it is, but I told him I'd give it to him if it meant I didn't have to see him again or he wouldn't hurt my father anymore." Chloe could see Jace's face closing off more and more as she spoke. "He then told me my father wasn't my father."

Darkness covered Jace's features. " _He's_ the one who told you that my father-?"

"No, Luke and Jocelyn told me that." She shook her head rapidly. "Valentine insinuated that I was _his_ child."

Jace froze, his eyes widening. "You're Valentine's daughter?"

" _No_." Chloe shook her head. "I'm Michael Wayland's-."

"That's only according Valentine's ex wife, a woman who ridiculously thinks that that monster could do all the horrible things he's done yet was incapable of being unfaithful to her." Jace sneered darkly before he suddenly grinned as he ran his fingers through his hair. " _I knew it._ "

Chloe blinked in confusion. "You knew-?"

"That you weren't my sister." Jace let out a relieved breath as he collapsed on the edge of the bed. "You're Valentine's daughter. You're _not_ my sister."

She stared up at him, unable to understand how he could be so sure of this. "Jocelyn and Luke-."

" _Don't know everything_ ," Jace hissed before he took in a deep breath. "Your mother would've kept it a secret from Jocelyn that her husband was the father of her unborn child. Anyone would've done that if they were sleeping with their best friend's spouse."

He had a point there.

Jace nodded. "And I don't see a reason why Valentine would claim a child that wasn't his own."

"Jocelyn said-."

" _ **I don't care what that hag said!**_ " His eyes were like lava. "You're _not_ my sister! You're Valentine's daughter." He clenched his hands in her sheets. "And I'm going to kill your father for what he did to _mine_."

"She's not a hag, she can't be more than 36 or 37 at the most." Chloe stared up at Jace. "And go ahead, if you want to kill Valentine so badly _do it_. I have no love for that man. Even if he were my father, I-."

Jace smirked, visibly pleased that he'd shaken her total faith in Jocelyn's words.

" _I said_ _ **'if**_ _'."_ She narrowed her eyes at him.

Jace leaned forwards and cupped her face.

Chloe pulled away. " _ **If**_." She narrowed her eyes at him as she repeated that. "I could still end up being your sister, and if that's true then you've-I've- _we've_ got to stop this before we do something that we can't take back."

"You're not my sister." Jace brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face and behind her ear. "You're _not_ , and deep down inside you _know_ that."

"No I don't." She narrowed her eyes at him as she batted his hand away. "And I'm seriously uncomfortable with the thought that I'm extremely attracted to someone who could be my brother. Don't make this harder for me." She then groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Don't smile! That's not something to smile about!"

"It is for _me_. You just admitted that you're 'extremely' attracted to me."

She pulled her hands from her face and glared and him with a huff. "You're not taking any of this seriously."

Suddenly pain seared through her head.

...

_"It's so beautiful." She trailed her fingers over the Cup's rim in open admiration. "To think that the Angel Raziel himself gave this to humanity, and we now have it."_

_He smiled as he hugged his wife from behind, placing a kiss to her neck. "It was a gift to humanity, and we needed to take it from where the Clave had it covered in dust-to put it to new use." He placed his hands possessively on her stomach. "For our future."_

_She smiled and placed her hand on his. "For our future."_

_His gaze shifted to the Cup as he rested his cheek against the side of her head. "To think that if you hadn't gotten with me in school you could be living some common life somewhere as a Shadowhunter working for a corrupt Clave."_

_Her lips twisted. "Or I could've married someone else and settled down to have his kids."_

_His black eyes darkened almost impossibly as his grip on her tightened. "Why do you do that? You_ _**know** _ _I cannot abide even the_ _**thought** _ _of you with someone else. You are mine, every bit of you is mine, and just imagining some other man placing his hands on you-."_

_"And then you don't know why I tease you." She smiled and placed her hand on the one he had on her stomach. "You truly are too possessive, my love."_

_He pressed a slower kiss to her neck once more. "I am, but know that just as much as you are mine, I am yours. Haven't I told you about the Morgenstern men? About what my father told me before Downworlders sent him to an early grave?"_

_"Morgenstern men fall in love once, and never fall out of love with that woman." Her lips curled in a smile. "Don't think I believe that for a second. You're just saying that to stroke my ego."_

_"That is not what I want to stroke."_

_"Valentine!" She cried out in embarrassed laughter. "You are too much."_

_"Far from it, my love."_

_She eyed the Cup once more. "What about Morgenstern women?"_

_"What about them?"_

_"Do they only fall in love once and stay in love with that one person as well?" She turned in his embrace. "If we have a daughter it would be good to know these things."_

_"There have been very few females born into my family, we've always been dominated by boy children." He smiled lovingly at his wife. "But I suppose it might be so."_

_"Oh, I hope not." His wife shivered at the very thought. "Boys break girls' hearts far too often."_

…

When she woke up again Lois was snoring in the bed, curled up next to her, while Jace slept sitting on a chair close to the bed. Chloe realized that she'd been changed out of her clothes (hopefully by Lois) so that meant she must've bled out again.

The blonde brought her hand to her head and frowned, worry beginning to coil in her stomach.

Just what was happening to her?

What was this block doing?

Her gaze went to Jace in the darkness.

What if he was right? What if Valentine really was her father? There had to be a reason why she'd seen a flash of what had to have been his face when the demons had attacked. There had to be a reason why her mother had thought it best to put this block on her.

Didn't it make more sense if Valentine was her father?

And yet Luke and Jocelyn both seemed so sure…

Sighing, Chloe curled up next to Lois and closed her eyes, forcing herself to go back to sleep.


	14. Going Home

"Hodge has agreed not to tell the Clave what we know so far just in case Valentine has someone in the organization working for him, but we only just managed to convince Hodge to do so." Jocelyn took in a deep breath as she eyed Chloe, who sat in front of Magnus, the warlock gazing into her eyes. "He knows the extent of the reach Valentine has always had, and that is the only reason why the Clave isn't bursting in the front door."

Jace ignored her, eyes on Magnus as he leaned against the wall next to them, arms folded over his chest. "Is she okay? Ever since visiting the Silent Brothers she has been having episodes and they're becoming more frequent."

"It's because the block was destabilized by the intrusion and is weakening faster than anticipated." Magnus continued to stare into her greens. "True, it stayed up longer than I had thought it would without a power-source to feed it, but the lowering of the walls in her mind should've been a more drawn out process than it is now and her mind is being strained with what it's being flooded with." He aligned his fingertips on her temples and concentrated before his eyes narrowed. "That's interesting."

"What is?" Clark asked, having come over first thing that morning.

"It's rejecting me as a power source." Magnus looked a little offended at that. "But this does explain how it was able to stay up so long even after your mother stopped bringing you." He pulled away from Chloe as he narrowed his eyes. "It's found an alternative power source and is feeding off of that."

"An alternate power source?" Lois echoed. "And for the mundanes in the room who have no idea what in the world you're talking about?"

"I'm saying that either someone else is unknowingly Chloe's new power source, or _she_ is the source herself." Magnus' gaze rested on Chloe's face. "The barrier sought a new power source when I stopped feeding it, and it found one."

"So basically you're saying that there is nothing you can do." Isabelle clarified. "You've been shut out of your own block _by_ your own block."

Magnus sent her an annoyed look. "Yes, if you want to boil it down to its most basic terms."

Alec leaned hard against the chair he was sitting on.

"What is the block for?" Luke wanted to know. "You must've seen a glimpse while you were putting it up."

"It's chaotic inside a child's mind." Magnus made a face. "And the block isn't just on her memories, it's much more complicated than that. In fact, this was one of the hardest spells I've ever performed due to the fact that Moira wanted to block _everything_ from the Shadow World from Chloe. She'd hoped that the girl would be born with a blind Inner Eye, apparently there are some Shadowhunter children who need to be taught to See the Shadow World, and of course still need the Voyance Rune to see _all_ of it, especially the glamours, but Moira had found Chloe playing with one of the Fair Folk and knew that the girl could see everything."

Chloe blinked at that revelation.

"It would be easier to pass her off as a half mundane if she were blind to the Shadow World." Alec nodded in understanding.

Lois shifted uncomfortably in her seat at that reminder, that Chloe wasn't really related to her.

Chloe sent her cousin - because whether or not it was by blood Lois would _always_ be her family - a look before she cleared her throat. "This isn't important right now. What's important is figuring out where Moira hid the Cup."

Jace scoffed. "I think you should give your health more priority."

"It's not like there's anything we can do about it right now," she reminded him.

He opened his mouth.

"Your brother is right." Jocelyn raised an eyebrow. "You need to look out for your health."

Jace clenched his hands into fists, a muscle ticking in his cheek.

"I'm with them." Lois announced as her hazel gaze landed unwaveringly on Chloe. "Unnecessary risks have already been taken when it comes to your health, and you're suffering consequences because of it now. So going forwards let's _all_ be more cautious, especially _you_."

Chloe eyed her cousin before she sighed and nodded. "Okay."

Jace's gaze slid to Lois pensively.

"Well, now that that's resolved, how do we go about finding the Mortal Cup?" Isabelle wanted to know. "We have no idea where Moira could've hidden it."

"She left us a clue. A picture of her with Jace and his father, with the rune Loyal To marked on it." Jocelyn licked her lips. "At first I thought it was her way of saying she was loyal _to them_ but then I wondered: what if she was saying _they_ were loyal _to her_?"

Jace froze. "You think she had contact with my father, that he'd known what she was doing."

"You _did_ tell us once that the reason you and your dad moved to the countryside was because he felt it was safer there." Alec's eyes widened. "What if Moira had gotten back into contact with him after she left Jocelyn and gave _him_ the card with the Mortal Cup?"

"Maybe it's even related someone to how he died." Isabelle's voice was horrified. "You _did_ say that those goons who attacked and killed him had been working on someone else's orders. What if they were working under _Valentine's_ orders?"

Jace looked away, silent.

Chloe reached out and placed her hand on his arm.

Alec narrowed his eyes on them. "But you two had already figured that out, hadn't you?"

"Why didn't you tell us anything?" Isabelle gasped. "We're your family!"

Alec spoke softly. "So is she."

Chloe left her hand drop from his arm at the reminder.

Jace's clenched fists were shaking visibly with the force he was putting into keeping them clenched.

"We need to go to Michael's home." Luke announced finally when the silence grew to be too much. "I think that's what this card is telling us. That the Cup is in the Wayland manor somewhere."

Jocelyn's gaze was on Jace. "You don't have to come. We understand that going back there might bring up bad memories."

"She's going." Jace motioned with his chin towards Chloe despite hie golden eyes raising to meet Jocelyn's. "Where she goes _I_ go."

Jocelyn nodded, a small smile on her face. "Okay then." She turned to Magnus. "We're going to need a way to get to Idris."

Magnus smirked. "You realize you all are racking up a _huge_ bill when it comes to my services." He pointed to Chloe. "Except her block maintenance part, because her mother paid well in advance."

Jocelyn rolled her eyes. "Just do it, Magnus. You'll get your pay."

"One way or the other." Magnus sent Alec a flirty look which the blushing Shadowhunter ignored resolutely.

Clark turned to Isabelle and blinked in confusion. " _Idris_?"

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"Okay, that's just, _wow_." Clark announced in awe as he stared at the portal which had opened up in the Institute's back yard thanks to Magnus Bane.

Jace ignored the mundane whom Isabelle was apparently in charge of taking care of.

"Magnus, I knew you were impressive, but that's just… _impressive_." Lois, the mundane _Alec_ was in charge of, smacked Magnus' on his back in appreciation.

"Yes, I am and it is." Magnus smirked, hands on his lean hips.

Jace wondered why in the world they were letting the two mundanes go with them. It wasn't like they'd be some sort of contribution to the whole mission. If anything, he kinda found them as annoying tag-alongs. Lois he could swallow easier than Clark though, because she seemed to be the only one able to get Chloe to stop being bullheaded when it came to things, and Jace had already decided that he was going to have to make her an ally. If he could get the mundane girl on his side, backing him up, then he was almost sure he could-.

"Luke, _no_." Jocelyn shook her head. "You know Downworlders aren't allowed to go through to Idris without permission, and we can't ask for that or the Clave will know what we're up to."

Luke frowned darkly at her. "Jocelyn…"

"I'm serious, Luke. You are staying here." Jocelyn glared at him. "If you just continue fighting this you'll hold us up and endanger the mission."

" _Fine_." Luke snapped, yet was visibly unhappy. "But just-be careful out there."

Jocelyn smiled and nodded. "Of course we will."

Lois eyed them in silence, a strange expression on her face as she did so.

Jace eyed the brunette and realized that the girl was jealous and resentful and hurt as she watched those two interacting, which meant that she obviously had feelings for the Downworlder.

Chloe moved closer to the portal, staring at the beautiful countryside on the other side. "I can't believe I'm going to go to Idris."

Jace, who hadn't been there since he was a child, cleared his throat as the yearning every Shadowhunter felt for their home-country beat through him like drums.

"You'll get to see the house you should've grown up in with your mother, father and brother, had things been different." Jocelyn reached Chloe's side and rested her hand on the girl's shoulder. "At least you can see it with your brother. I know that Moira would be so happy to know that you could see it."

Chloe looked up at her and gave her a small smile. "You think so?"

"I know so." Jocelyn nodded. "She'd always wanted a child with Michael, one that could grow up and be a sister or brother to the child she already loved as a son."

Jace clenched his fists once more, annoyed as hell that that woman kept pushing the 'you're siblings' crap. No matter how many times he heard that propaganda he wasn't going to be convinced, but Chloe _could_ be. He knew she was on the borders when it came to believing him or Jocelyn, both of them having 'good points' in her books, and he wasn't going to allow the older Shadowhunter to ruin the progress they'd made. He needed to prove to Chloe somehow that they weren't related, and _fast._

"Will you be okay?" Luke asked Jocelyn. "The Wayland manor neighbors the Fairchild manor."

Chloe looked up at that.

"I'll be fine." Jocelyn stressed. "But we need to go."

The Fairchild manor, the house where Chloe's father had _really_ lived in.

Jace narrowed his eyes and wondered exactly what the chances were of them going to see the burnt remains. Maybe, somehow, that would help trigger something in Chloe.

Jocelyn took in a deep breath before she walked through the portal.

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The Wayland manor was obviously deserted, and had been for many years, but the state of abandonment and lack of care did not detract from the vision it posed. Chloe stared at the grand old manor nestled in the deep countryside and if it _neighbored_ the Fairchild manor then they'd actually meant the _land_ did, because Chloe couldn't see another house around her, or even remains of one. The girl gazed around her, trying to imagine her mother here with Michael Wayland, tried to envision a young Jace playing, and the feeling that churned in her gut was a mixture of so many emotions she couldn't really distinguish one. But as she turned her gaze to Jace she could see the shadows in his eyes as he stared at the house, reminding her all-too-late that the last time he'd been here he'd watched as his father was murdered.

Chloe moved away from Jocelyn and headed towards Jace, sliding her hand into his for comfort.

He jumped at the sensation, his attention having been fully on the manor, and his golds lowered to her before he gave her what was probably supposed to be a carefree smile but the darkness, the haunted look in his eyes proved otherwise.

Jocelyn eyed them with a small smile before she cleared her throat and turned towards the manor. "Once we're inside we'll separate into teams so that we can search the house properly and quickly. Chloe and Jace will go together, Clark and Isabelle will go together, and Alec and Lois. I'll be fine on my own." She was definitely in her element as she took in a deep breath. "If anyone finds anything, shout."

Chloe nodded and moved forwards, stopping when Jace didn't, and their joined hands forced her to stop. She turned to look back at him in question, seeing his gaze was once more on the house, shadows dancing over his face. The girl sighed and turned to the others. "You guys go on ahead, I want to soak this sight in a little more."

They nodded and left them, the groups moving towards the entrance of the house.

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Lois and Alec had the attic and uppermost floor, the two going through the boxes that had been up here. Alec kept sending looks out of a window down towards the front of the house, before he'd frown and shake his head, continuing with the search.

Lois sent Alec a look over her shoulder. "Yes."

He looked up at her in visible confusion. "Huh?"

"I'm agreeing with what you were obviously thinking." The brunette picked up a small statute of some guy or the other. "Their relationship does _not_ seem like that of a brother and sister." She sent him a sideways look. "You were hoping that this revelation would help make Jace behave how he used to, and yet you saw the way he still looks at her." Lois made a face as she eyed the statue, turning it upside-down. "He has a thing for his sister, and if the way she acts around _him_ is anything for me to go by, she's definitely got a thing for him."

"But that's wrong." Alec frowned, not even trying to deny that that had been what he'd been thinking. "They're _siblings_."

"They only just found that out." Lois rolled her eyes. "If you could just flip a switch and not feel anything anymore it wouldn't be… You out of all people understand what I'm talking about."

He flinched and looked away.

Lois sighed. "Sorry, it wasn't my place to say that."

"Doesn't make it less true." The Shadowhunter sighed as he leaned against the wall. "I'll admit it, I was _ecstatic_ when I found out that she's his sister-but now I'm beginning to worry. What if he ends up like me? In love and yearning for someone who can't be his?" Alec ran his fingers through his hair. "I wouldn't wish that on Jace for the world." His blues rested on Lois. "If it ends up that way, I would've preferred it for them to not be siblings."

Lois eyed the guy before she smiled tenderly. "You're a nice guy, aren't you, Alec Lightwood?"

"Hardly," he huffed as he folded his arms over his chest.

"You are." Lois put down the statue. "And, Magnus is hot in a very eccentric way."

Alec looked up at that, face flushed. "I don't see what those two things have to do with each other."

Lois snickered at his embarrassed expression. "Of course you don't." Her lips twitched. "And the reason why you keep looking at him whenever he isn't looking at you is because you're contemplating using eyeliner too."

Alec flushed darker. "I do _not_ look-."

"-totally intrigued and tempted to take him up on his many indecent, flirtatious offers? Yeah, you _do_." Lois was outright smirking at him. "Why don't you just do it?"

His eyes widened. "You can't seriously-!"

"No one's asking you to fall in love with Magnus." Lois rolled her eyes, hands on her hips. "But what's the harm in having a little fun and living a little? Especially with someone who has _so much_ experience when it comes to fun."

Alec suddenly frowned. "Are you and he-?"

"Mags and me? _No_." Lois' eyes widened in shock and she snorted. "But I definitely love him. He's sassy and original and has _the best_ alcohol."

Alec tilted his head to the side. "Are all mundanes as odd as you are?"

"Nah, they're not that lucky." Lois winked at him. "You're just blessed to know me."

Alec's lips twitched before he cleared his throat. "We're here to find that card, _not_ to gossip, so let's get back to work."

Lois merely smirked as she nodded.

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Chloe still remained outside of the house, hand in Jace's, the girl feeling a tugging towards the house, an intense need to go inside, and blamed it on the fact that this was her father's house.

Jace took in a deep breath, gaze on the manor. "I suppose that this hasn't been my most manliest moment."

Her greens turned on him. "You experienced a horrifying experience in this house. It's to be expected that you'd find it hard to be here again."

He let out a dark chuckle. "I've seen worse while hunting demons."

"Nothing's worse than watching your father being murdered right in front of you." She narrowed her eyes on him as she tightened her grip on his hand while bringing her other hand to rub his arm comfortingly. She rested her head against his shoulder as her gaze returned to Wayland manor. "Just take your time, don't worry, we won't go in until you're ready."

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Clark and Isabelle had the second floor, and were at this moment going through what looked like a woman's room. It had accumulated years of dust and was a definite deathtrap for anyone suffering from asthma.

"You know, you're taking this whole thing very well." Isabelle was going through the closet, through dresses. "I'd thought that Lois was an exception to the rule when it came to accepting the odd with nonchalance, but you've accepted the existence of the Shadow World and such with just as much ease as she did."

"Well, I don't know what you've heard about our lives before the Shadow World came into play, but Chloe and I were always waist-deep into _some_ weird mystery or misadventure." Clark peered behind a body-length mirror. "It's made this a _lot_ easier to take in and accept."

Isabelle nodded as she pulled out a dress and eyed it before putting it back in. "You'll have to tell me about these meteor freaks some time."

Clark nodded with a grin. "And you'll have to tell me about the things you've fought."

Isabelle smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a date."

"Or at least a nice war-story exchanging time." Clark was apparently the most oblivious guy in existence.

Isabelle liked a challenge though, so she didn't let it bring her down. "I bet I have more stories to exchange than you do."

He snorted. "You're on."

The female Shadowhunter smirked and let the silence return to them as they continued searching.

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She'd let Jace lead her into the house, and as Chloe stepped over the threshold that feeling, that urgency, ripped through her like a hurricane and left her breathless and disoriented as she brought her hand up to her head. It took her a couple of minutes for the dizziness to leave and for her to get her first glimpse of the inside of her father's home. Like the outside, time and abandonment showed plainly on everything, but still it was gorgeous and breathtaking. Just this entryway alone outshone everything in her home in Smallville, and the girl couldn't imagine what it might've been like growing up in such an amazing place like this one, with her mother, father and Jace.

She licked her lips.

Things would've been _so_ different if she'd grown up here, with her parents, knowing that Jace was her brother.

Suddenly something inside of her coiled, burnt and boiled, Chloe gasping as she brought her hand to her chest as she cried out.

Jace's narrowed gaze swung to her immediately. "What's wrong?"

His voice was distorted, as if it was a recording played on slow. The room shone brightly before going black and then back again, the girl finding it hard to catch her breath. She pressed her hand hard against her chest, feeling as if there was a huge lump in her throat that made it almost impossible for her to get oxygen into her body.

"I'm taking you out-."

Chloe pulled her hand from Jace's, that urgency building inside of her, driving her to stumble forwards, almost as if following an invisible thread as she grabbed the bannister of the magnificent staircase ahead of them, the blonde staring up the steps before hurrying up.

"Where are you-?" Jace called from below before the sound of his footsteps joined hers as he quickly caught up with her on the stairs.

Chloe couldn't concentrate on him or what he said, the girl lost in a haze, in a daze, following that sensation, that call. She reached the top of the long staircase, breathing heavily from having run all the way up as she looked from one side to the other, before hurrying towards the right and after turning, found yet another staircase which she hurried up. Her breaths were coming out loud by the time she made it up at the top and she didn't even have to wait, that call so strong that she immediately followed it and turned to the left.

"What is going _on_?" Jace wanted to know, easily keeping up with her, his seraph blade in his hand.

Chloe couldn't answer him even if she'd wanted to, the girl bypassing room and corridors before finally she collapsed onto her knees, extremely tired, in front of a specific door.

Jace's eyes widened as he stared at the door. "This is my father's room."

Chloe looked up at him in shock before she forced herself to her feet and turned the handle as she stepped inside.

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Jocelyn had claimed the library saying that it had more than enough places to hide the card, but really she'd claimed it as a searching place for one reason and one reason only, and that reason was in her hands, still where she'd left it hidden inside of the cookbook.

The Book of the White, a small chapbook, like a family Bible, bound in white leather, was an ancient tome of extreme power. The title was written in gilded Latin letter while the interior was written in Greek. Jocelyn had hidden it in here so many years ago, knowing that no one would look for it in Michael's home, especially not in a book filled with recipes, and true to her hopes, it was still here, safe and sound.

She brought the book to her heart, wondering if she should leave it or take it with her. On one hand this had proven to be a good hiding place, on the other things were getting too dangerous now and it might be better with her.

The woman brought the book to her lips as she contemplated what exactly to do.

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That urgency from before was maddening inside of this room.

Chloe grabbed at her chest as she looked around, confused, unable to understand what was happening to her or _why_ it was happening. She circled slowly, taking in her father's room, wondering why that feeling had brought her to Michael's room of all places.

Jace stared around the room, a lost and sad expression on his face as he put away his seraph blade.

Chloe brought her hands to her head as a loud throbbing sound attacked her, a loud scream erupting around her.

"What is it?" Jace asked her as he came to place his hands on her shoulders, worry visible on his face.

"You can't hear that?" Chloe cried over the sound of the high-pitched screaming, hands covering her ears as the agonized sound rose higher and higher in urgency.

"Hear _what_?" Jace looked around them in confusion. "I don't hear anything."

Chloe closed her eyes tightly and dropped to her knees as the feelings encompassed her from every side suffocatingly.

"That's it." Jace lifted her in his arms and stormed out of the room. "We're getting out of this damned house."

The screaming grew worse with every step he took her away from the room.

" _No_ … _No…!_ " Chloe tried to tell him but all that came out were sobs as the sounds and feelings grew too much for her to take and the girl blacked out.

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Jocelyn recognized a red book and pulled it out, a small smile touching her lips as she leaned against the bookshelf and opened it to see the pictures of Moira and her from their school days. Michael and Luke and others were in the pictures as well, as well as Valentine, and Jocelyn felt nostalgia towards that easier time. Things had been so wonderful back at the academy, and a part of her wished that everything that had happened since they'd graduated had been nothing more than a horrible nightmare.

And yet it _hadn't_ been a nightmare, it had really happened, and Jocelyn realized that in essence she'd switched places with Moira, who'd had a loving family with her during all these years while Jocelyn was the lonely one.

Had it been her fault, though? She'd been so scared to have another child after what had happened with Jonathan, hadn't wanted to risk any of that taint being inside her and going into another child. It was that taint that had kept her from loving her own son, but now that she realized just how much Moira had been able to love her tainted child, and since Jocelyn had been able to meet the girl herself, she couldn't help but wonder darkly if maybe the fact that she was alone was her own fault. Maybe, if she'd been able to look passed what had been done to her son (who'd been a victim and even more innocent of his father's actions than her) maybe she would've made sure he was safe during the Uprising, and he'd have survived the manor's burning down. Maybe she could've gotten passed whatever Valentine had done to him, maybe she _should've_ gotten passed it, and tried harder to love the child who hadn't been to blame for what had been done to him.

But it was too late already, her son was dead, and she had Moira's daughter to protect.

A picture of Moira and Jocelyn laughing together caught her attention and caused a lump to thicken in her throat. She flipped the page to see a picture of Moira and Luke making faces at each other on the other side, causing a little laughter to escape Jocelyn's lips.

She flipped the page and then realized that this one wasn't as thick as the previous one had been.

Turning back the page, Jocelyn frowned and reached in, pulling the pictures out, realizing with wide eyes that there'd been something shoved in between them.

The pictures fluttered to the ground as Jocelyn held the card she'd painted all those years ago.

" _Dear Angel_ …" Jocelyn's eyes widened and her lips curled in a smile before suddenly she _really_ looked at the card, and horror filled her. "It _can't_ be."

The Mortal Cup was missing from the painting.

" _That impossible_!"

And that was when she heard Chloe's scream from above.


	15. Shattering

"How can this be possible?" Hodge stared at the card in horror before he sent Jocelyn a suspicious look. "You're not trying to fool me, are you?"

Jocelyn narrowed her green eyes. "No, Hodge, we're working on the same team."

"I'm sorry, but it's just that this wouldn't be the first time that you've hidden the Cup without giving it to the Clave, who truly own it."

"If they were able to keep a better hold on it I would've given it to them." Jocelyn was still ever-fearless, a raging fire. "But _we both_ know how easy it is for things to go missing under their care."

Hodge flinched. "Really, Jocelyn, you're not a part of the Circle anymore, it's dangerous to criticize the Clave like that."

"Are you implying that they might do to me what they did to you? Curse me to be unable to leave this place? Never go back to Idris?" Jocelyn raised her chin. "What is there in Idris for me to go back to?"

"You still have family there." Hodge reminded. "Maryse told me once that your cousin Reginald has a child who should be around Chloe's age. Wouldn't you want to meet that child? See Reginald again? Be a part of the Shadowhunter community once more?"

"Reginald was an annoying dunce and my parents were the only members of my family who I even got along with. The rest of them were always brainwashed by the Clave and unable to have a single original thought of their own."

Hodge eyed her. "For someone who was integral in saving the Clave from Valentine, you do seem to detest it."

Jocelyn flinched. "If Valentine had won many innocent people would've died. You know that."

Hodge sighed. "Talking about innocents being hurt - how is the girl?"

Jocelyn hugged herself. "She's not doing well, whatever happened to her in that house is still affecting her." Her greens narrowed on Hodge. "None of this might've happened if you had listened to Magnus and not sent her to the Silent CIty."

"That was the Clave's decision, not mine. " Hodge narrowed his eyes on the woman. "I merely followed their orders."

"And you're good at following orders blindly, no matter how morally gray they may be, aren't you?"

"Don't forget that _you_ also followed those orders!"

They glared at each other.

Finally Hodge backed down with a tired sigh. "Believe me when I say that I do not want that girl hurt, especially unnecessarily."

Jocelyn sighed and nodded. "I know. And I'm sorry. I just-I feel like I let Moira down so horribly and that this girl is my last shot at redemption."

Hodge nodded silently in understanding.

"If something horrible happens to her while in my care-I will have let Moira down irrevocably."

Hodge observed her silently.

Jocelyn's gaze went to the card in Hodge's hand. "I have a feeling that Chloe's block has to do with what happened to the Cup and why it isn't in the card anymore."

"The thought _had_ crossed my mind." Hodge laid the card face-up on the table between them.

"There has to be a way to help Chloe remember quicker without hurting her further." Jocelyn leaned her hip against the table. "Something we haven't thought of as yet."

"Not according to Magnus Bane there isn't." Hodge frowned and clasped his hands over his chest as he leaned back on his chair. "How sure are we that _he_ isn't keeping the block up and lying to us about it?"

Jocelyn shook her head. "I know Magnus, he wouldn't do that."

Hodge eyed her thoughtfully. "Even if he thought that by doing so he'd be keeping the whole Shadow World safe?" He observed Jocelyn for her reaction. "What better vaulted lock to keep the secret safe in than a girl's mind? Especially if you make it unstable?"

"Magnus wouldn't-."

"Come on Jocelyn, think clearly and without emotion for right now. I know you and the Downworlder fought together in the Uprising and you consider him an ally, but he would know better than anyone what Valentine would do if he got a hold of the Cup." Hodge's voice was hard. "To a man like him, what is the sacrifice of one life if it saves millions?"

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_The man who'd received the Cup from the Angel sat over the two injured and weak bodies, one male and the other female. "Once you are completely healed you shall drink from the Cup and join us in the Shadowhunter ranks."_

_The girl smiled softly up at him. "Oh brother, what would my betrothed say to that?"_

_The man besides her was silent although clearly in pain._

_"You were made to be a warrior, not someone's browbeaten wife." The one with the Cup announced to the girl before he turned to the man. "You shall get better soon, David. You will. I need you by my side, just like the David and Jonathan of yore."_

_The male gave him a small smile yet still didn't say anything._

...

"Keep her legs down, Smallville!" Lois snapped at the boy as she pinned down Chloe's head and kept a ruler between the girl's mouth to make sure that she didn't swallow or bite off her own tongue.

"She's-believe me-I'm shocked that I'm having so many problems here!" Clark grunted as he pressed the legs into the mattress. "Isabelle is _sitting_ on her for crying out loud!"

That Isabelle was, the girl having sat down on Chloe's midsection in a effort to try and keep the spasming girl still. She looked very much like someone who was trying to ride a mechanic bull. "Just how strong _is_ she?"

"Strong." Clark made a face.

"What could've happened in your father's room that sent her into this sort of frenzy?" Luke wanted to know as he held down one of her shoulders.

"I don't know." Jace just seriously hoped that Alec arrived with Magnus, and _soon_ , because as he pinned down Chloe's other shoulder he didn't know how much longer any of them would be able to hold up. "She said she heard something and then she started to scream. She's been like this ever since."

"She needs to stop bleeding." Lois stared down at her cousin's face in worry. "Why is she bleeding?"

"She's hemorrhaging internally." Luke made a face. "If things don't stop, with the way things are going, she could go into cardiac arrest or suffer an aneurism."

Lois closed her eyes against those options. "She'll be okay. Mags will be here and know what to do."

The door flew open. "What have you all done to the girl?" Magnus stormed into the room, Alec close behind him.

"Mags!" Lois cried out in relief.

Luke sent her and the Downworlder a look.

Magnus moved to where Lois was and bent down to stare into Chloe's eyes, which were rolled back in her head, the girl bleeding from her eye-sockets. He hissed as he pulled away. "What did you _do_? The block is shattering!"

Lois' eyes widened in horror. " _What_?"

Jace felt coldness filling him, horror. "Why?"

"You tell me!" Magnus snapped in fury. "Something _strong_ attacked the block and cracked it completely. The block's falling apart because of that and her mind and body are going into shock from the overload!"

...

" _We're going to be fine." The redhead placed a hand on the raven-haired woman's shoulder. "We did it. We stopped Valentine and we have the Cup."_

_The dark haired woman gave a weak smile. "We both know that Valentine is still alive, and that one day he'll find us and take revenge against us for what we've done."_

_The redhead flinched. "We'll figure something-a way to keep him from getting the Cup."_

_The dark haired woman's blue eyes rose to rest on the Cup. "I already_ _**have** _ _."_

...

"You've got to be able to do something!" Lois turned to Magnus.

The warlock frowned down at Chloe as the unconscious girl continued to spasm violently. "Anything I do will only make things worse."

" _How_ can they be any worse?" Clark snapped.

...

_The dark haired woman stared at the card in her hand, her other hand resting on her large stomach. Something shadowy haunted her eyes as she stared at what had been painted on the card, the scene depicted the Three of Cups, a replica of a painting that Valentine had commissioned his wife to paint in their manor when life had been good for them. The redhead had painted this picture in miniature as a way of darkly mocking Valentine, making his favored painting the trap for his most desired possession._

_The youth in the picture appeared like angels with their blonde hair glowing in the sunlight, wreaths in said golden tresses, glowing cups held in their hands as they raised them as if in salute to the sun while dancing amongst each other._

_In the middle, her hair longer than the others, a girl held up the Mortal Cup, a mischievous smile on her face as a finger from her free hand was brought to her lips, as if telling whoever saw the card that she had a secret and enjoyed it._

_The pregnant woman holding the card hissed as within her, the child kicked. A small smile touched her face as she pressed her hand harder against her stomach in time to feel another kick. "It's all worth it."_

...

"Do something." Jace's voice was dark and deadly calm as he stared up with flashing golden eyes.

Magnus shook his head. "I'll hurt her even more."

Jace let go of her hand and grabbed his seraph blade, holding it out with the tip pressed against Magnus' neck. "I said: _**do something**_."

...

_"Moira! Do you know where my necktie with the red polka dots is?" The man stuck his head inside of the room._

_The dark haired woman dropped the card into the baby's crib on reflex, hiding it even from her husband, as she gave him a small smile. "Isn't it in the closet?"_

_"I can't find it anywhere." He pouted._

_She smirked. "I bet you I'll go and find it immediately."_

_"No, you definitely won't, I've searched that closet high and low." He shook his head._

_The woman rolled her eyes as she moved towards him. "You'll owe me dinner at a_ _**very** _ _good restaurant when I find it in the closet."_

_"It's not in the closet!" He insisted as he hurried after her out of the room._

_In the crib, the baby picked up the card and flung it around in her tiny fist while giving a coo._

_On the card, the Mortal Cup began to glow._

...

"Don't do anything stupid, Jace!" Alec cried out.

" _Jace.._." Lois whispered.

Jace didn't look at her, didn't look away from Magnus as he kept his seraph blade trained on the warlock's neck. "I won't ask again."

Magnus' cat-eyes narrowed. "You don't want to do this."

" _Jace_!" Lois screamed, and it was the horror in her voice that finally drew his attention.

His eyes widened as he saw that Chloe had stopped spasming and now lay deathly still on the bed. "Is she still breathing?"

Lois, fingers pressed against Chloe's throat, looked up at him numbly. "She doesn't have a pulse."

...

_The dark haired woman frowned as she watched the one year old laughing happily as she observed a fairy flying from flower to flower. She'd wished that things would be different, that the child had been born with a blind inner eye, and yet she could see that it wasn't so. She'd had her suspicions before but now they'd been confirmed: the child could easily see the Shadow World._

_It was why she held onto the card and looked up at the girl. Maybe she should just do away with the card. Tear it up into a thousand pieces, it was the only way to make sure that her child was truly safe, but the Shadowhunter in her rejected the idea of destroying one of the Mortal Instruments like that._

_Still, it posed a danger to her child, the woman knowing that if she had it Valentine would always come after her and he could find her daughter._

_The woman held the card between her fingers, a split second away from tearing it apart and destroying it forever._

_A phone rang and she looked up, eyes narrowed as she put down the card and moved out of the room to answer the ringing._

_Now that the woman was out of the room, the card began to glow._

_The child turned immediately to look at the card, clearly entranced as she began to stumble towards it on her chubby little legs. She whimpered as she arrived at the coffee table and reached for the card, and yet was unable to touch it._

_A breeze picked up and blew the card into the child's tiny hands._

_The child giggled as the Cup glowed a throbbing light before she cried out and dropped the card, a cut on her hand, her blood soaking the front of the card before it got soaked up into the card and disappeared from sight, and light exploded from the card._

_When the woman rushed into the room minutes later the child was unconscious on the ground, bleeding profusely, and the Mortal Cup had disappeared from the card._

…

Jace stood frozen, his seraph blade falling to the ground.

" _Chloe!_ " Lois screamed as she stared down at her cousin's pallid face. " _CHLOE_!"

...

_"The doctors can't figure out what happened to her." The woman cried as she clung to her husband as they stood over the child's bed, the blonde unconscious. "They said it was as if she'd been burnt from the inside and the scratches look like they happened from_ _**within** _ _!"_

_He held her tightly. "What could've happened to her while you were talking to me on the phone?"_

_"_ _**I don't know** _ _!" She cried harder. "If anything happens to her-!"_

_"She'll be okay." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "She's a resilient little thing."_

_"Burnt lacerations! Gabe!" She cried before she opened her eyes and turned them on her daughter, those blues widening when she found the little girl awake and watching them in silence._

_The one year old gave her a crooked smile, her greens twinkling in mischief as she brought her finger to her lips._

_The woman's eyes widened in horror._

...

Chloe cried out as her eyes flew open and she jolted up into a sitting position, her eyes wide and her breaths desperate gasps for air as she clutched at her chest tightly.

" _Chloe_!" Lois threw herself at the unprepared blonde with a sob, wrapping her arms around her neck. " _I thought you'd died!"_

Chloe fought the urge to push Lois away and gasp for more air, instead tried to get control of her claustrophobic feelings as she looked around her at the pale faces. "What… _happened_?"

"Let her go, Lois." Magnus appeared to Chloe's side and placed his hands down on her head as he stared into her green eyes, his cat-eyes narrowed. He then hesitated before he pulled away. "The block is gone."

"How are you feeling, Chlo?" Clark asked softly.

"I have a headache." The blonde gave a weak smile before her gaze went to Magnus. "So, is this a good thing or a bad thing? Will I go insane in the brain?"

The warlock remained silent and didn't answer.

Chloe's gaze slipped from him and scanned the room, surprised to find Alec and Isabelle there. She then noticed Jace, the golden haired boy standing apart from everyone, pale and a highly disturbed expression on his face. "Are you okay?"

He smiled an ugly smile.

She was taken aback by the viciousness in that smile and the darkness in those eyes.

The door opened and Jocelyn rushed into the room, Luke and Hodge behind her. The redhead's green eyes widened as she saw Chloe, relief on her face as she hurried towards her. "He said you'd stopped breathing!"

"I did?" Chloe asked those in the room, shocked.

Clark nodded and cleared his throat, his voice thick with emotion. "Yeah. You didn't have a pulse either."

Chloe gulped. "That's-scary."

"You're telling _us_?" Lois whispered as she sat down hard on the edge of the bed. "I thought you were dead."

Chloe gazed at her cousin, who was visibly trying to hold herself together, and the blonde twisted around enough to wrap her arms around Lois.

Lois cried as she hugged her tightly.

Isabelle and Alec shared looks.

"We need to do something about this block, it is killing her." Luke looked up at Magnus. "I know you said-."

"There's nothing to do," Magnus interrupted. "The block has shattered. It doesn't exist anymore."

Hodge's eyes widened as he turned his gaze on the blonde girl. "How are you?"

"I'm not insane, I think." She gave him a weak smile over Lois' shoulder as she continued to hug Lois. "Then again, I don't think crazy people realize they're crazy."

Lois held onto her tighter.

Chloe realized she wasn't doing a good job when it came to being comforting.

"Just the fact that you're wondering that…" Luke gave her a small, relieved smile before he cleared his throat and turned to everyone. "Okay. Out. She needs rest."

Isabelle gave Chloe a silent salute before she left.

Alec eyed her and cleared his throat before he gave her a small smile and followed after his sister.

Hodge reached over and patted her shoulder. "Once you are feeling up to it we should have a talk."

Chloe nodded and gave him a tiny smile. "Of course."

Clark came over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. " _Thank god you're okay_." He pulled away and eyed her. "I'm coming to see you first thing tomorrow."

She gave Clark a colossal smile. "I'd be insulted if you didn't."

Clark gave her another kiss on her forehead before leaving the room.

Jocelyn gave them a little look, a smile on her lips as she reached out and rubbed Chloe's thigh comfortingly before she placed the hand on Lois' shoulder. "Why don't you and I go and get her something to eat?"

Lois sniffled as she pulled away before she nodded. "Yeah, she should eat."

Jocelyn smiled at the brunette before her greens turned to Chloe. "Lay down for a while. We'll be back."

Luke eyed the two of them. "If they become friends… that's a scary thought." He then turned to Chloe and rubbed her head tenderly. "Try and rest, okay kid?"

" _Not_ a kid." And yet she smiled tenderly back at him.

Luke eyed Jace before he left the room.

Silence reigned in the room before Jace surprised her by turning and heading towards the door.

" _Jace_." Her voice stopped him, the guy keeping his rigid back to her. "I need to talk to you."

"Not now." His voice was curt.

She was shocked and a little hurt. "What's wrong with-?"

"Just-I don't want to talk right now." He moved to grab the handle.

"I know where the Mortal Cup is."

He froze as he tightened his hands around the handle. "I don't care."

Her eyes widened. " _How can you say that_?"

"Easily." His hand was shaking. "I. Don't. Care."

The blonde narrowed her green eyes on his back. "Look, I don't know what's wrong with you all of a sudden, but-."

"You don't know what's wrong." He gave a dark, ugly laugh. "You _don't know_ what's wrong."

"Is there an echo in here?" She snapped at his back, annoyed by his attitude.

He shook his head and yanked open the door.

Chloe panicked, desperately not wanting him to go. " _It's inside me_."

Jace froze before he suddenly closed the door and turned to face her, horror in his every expression. " _ **What did you say**_?"

"The power source that kept the block up? It's from _the Cup_." Chloe gulped.

Jace looked around him before he stormed towards her bed. "What you're saying is _impossible_."

She shook her head. "I don't know how exactly it happened, or what exactly it means, but ever since I woke up I've just _known_ that it's inside of me." She reached out and grabbed Jace's hand. "When I was a kid Valentine made a comment about how I glowed, and then he mentioned it again when I saw him that night. I didn't understand what he was saying, and I think he doesn't even realize it completely, but I think that glow was from _the Cup_."

Jace closed his eyes and breathed in before he sat down next to her on the bed. "It's impossible, but even if somehow it really _was_ inside of you-."

"Since I was a kid," Chloe interrupted. " _That_ is the reason why my mother blocked me. I don't-I don't think she was really blocking _me_." She tightened her grip on Jace. "I think she was blocking the _Cup_."

Jace opened his eyes and trained those golden depths on her. "No one can know this. _No one_."

Chloe nodded and licked her lips. "If it was somehow able to get inside of me, then there has to be a way to remove it."

"This is still only a theory." Jace reminded her. "It could be-."

"It's not just a theory. It's the truth." Chloe stared at him. "And I need your help to find a way to get it out of me before anyone finds out, especially Valentine."

Jace paled. "You might be his daughter, but I see him being capable of ripping you open to get that Cup."

"He mightn't be my-."

Jace leaned forwards and kissed her deeply before he rested his forehead against hers. "I couldn't protect you-I couldn't do _anything_." He took in a deep breath. " _You stopped breathing_."

Chloe suddenly wondered if this was why he'd been so curt with her before, if it really hadn't been his anger towards himself and not any ill feel directed at _her_. "Jace, I'm _fine_." She reached up to cup his face, rubbing her thumbs against his jaw. "I think-I'm going to be okay now."

They stayed like that, resting their foreheads together, silent as they both digested Chloe's revelation and what exactly it meant for them.


	16. A Taste In The Shadows

The less people who knew about it, the better.

That was what Jace had said, and while Chloe trusted Lois and Clark she understood Jace's sentiments and kept the truth from them. She'd lied to everyone's faces, smiled to Hodge and told him she was feeling perfectly and that while the block was down she couldn't remember anything that her mother might've wanted her not to. She had a feeling Lois suspected she was lying, and Clark had come up and reminded her that they were allies and he was there for her so that meant he obviously could tell something was up as well. She felt horrible for not telling them anything but she didn't want to, not until she had more answers and not just _tons_ of questions.

Anyway, the real reason why she didn't tell Clark and Lois was because if she told them, then Jace would want to tell Isabelle and Alec, and just as much as Jace didn't have a reason to trust _her_ friends, she didn't have a reason to trust _his_ adopted family. This was why, at least for now, it was just the two of them.

Since Magnus had ordered her to bed-rest after the block had come crashing down, it gave Chloe time to study and look up things. Lois, Clark and Jace alternated keeping her company during those days.

Lois had the morning shift, and brought over dvds (and a small dvd player) for them to watch them on, as well as some of Magnus' magic (and erotic) books that she'd managed to pilfer from his library. While Chloe found the magic books fascinating, a part of her couldn't help but find the erotic volumes all that more intriguing, and she found herself going through those much quicker. The _things_ she'd learnt so far by reading them left her unable to look at Jace whenever something she'd read came to mind.

Clark had the evening shift, after school, and brought all the homework she hadn't done. He'd assigned himself as her teacher and explained the new things they'd learnt and made sure she understood them and could apply them to the coursework. He told her that everything was fine at the Torch but the way he was so shifty about it made her extremely uncomfortable and if it wasn't for the fact that she had more pressing issues to worry about (for now) she would've pressed harder to try and figure out how her baby was doing in the hands of Lana Lang. She couldn't see that it could be so horrible anyway considering that Lana was a living blast of pheromones who could bend any guy to her will, and as long as the staff were still there Chloe was sure that they'd make sure things were progressing smoothly.

Jace had the night shift, and that was when the real work began. He'd stolen all sorts of books from Hodge's library and they were reading up the history of the Cup and of Jonathan Shadowhunter, trying to study anything that could help them understand what exactly was happening to the girl.

Chloe played with the bell-shaped pendant of the necklace Lois had recently given her, the blonde staring at the picture of Jonathan Shadowhunter, his sister Abigail, and his best friend and parabatai, David. "I've seen these three before."

Jace looked up from where he'd been laying down besides her. "Seen them? As in-?"

"During one of my episodes, I'm almost _sure_ I saw them." Her eyes were wide. "It must be the Mortal Cup inside of me showing me things that it had gone through." She blinked. "That could be what my mother was trying to block, the images."

"And she tried to block it by blocking the part of you that was in-tune with things from the Shadow World." Jace frowned as he looked up at her face. "That was risky of her."

Chloe nodded as she ran her fingers down the page containing the drawing of Jonathan Shadowhunter. "So, this is the man so many Shadowhunter boys are named after."

Jace made a face. " _Too_ many, if you ask me. You can't go to Idris without meeting at least forty of them on your first day."

Her lips twitched. "I'll make sure not to name my son that, then."

Jace's lips curled as he gazed up at her through his golden eyelashes. "Don't you think that's something the _both_ of us should discuss?"

Her throat went dry as she stared wide-eyed at him and did her best to play dumb. "As his uncle you really wouldn't have any right to-."

He pushed up with his arms rapidly, smoothly, with the grace of a cat as his lips met hers in a teasing kiss that she should try and resist, and yet found herself unable to. Jace pulled away with a pleased expression on his face as he laid down once more and grabbed the book, moving so that he was lying on his back. "I wouldn't be his _uncle_."

Chloe gulped as she stared down at Jace. She had to admit that she was terrified of the thought of him being her brother, not just because he was the first guy in a _very_ long time to make her feel this way (and the first guy to ever care for her in this manner) but she had a feeling that even if it turned out that Jace _was_ her brother-he wouldn't accept it. She was scared that even if it turned out that Jace was her brother he'd still kiss her, and she wanted to say that she'd push him away... but she couldn't promise herself that-and _that_ scared her even worse.

Was this because of what Valentine had done to her? The 'taint' as Jocelyn called it? But then if that was so, what was _Jace's_ excuse?

"Stop over-thinking things." Jace's voice was a soft murmur as he turned the page.

She licked her lips, unable to get how he just _knew_ these things without even looking at her. "I can't help it. I need to think things through for the both of us."

Jace snickered and turned to lay on his stomach, his golden eyes fixed upon her. "You need to just listen to your instincts and let them drive you."

She snorted at that. "And _you_ need to start thinking with your head and not your libido."

His eyes went molten. "If I _were_ thinking with my libido you wouldn't still be dressed."

She gulped and her eyes widened. "Shut up."

He chuckled.

Her eyes narrowed on him. "You weren't half this outspoken before Jocelyn and Luke told me I was your sister." The girl tilted her head, trying to provoke him. "You wouldn't have a sister-fetish, would you?"

Jace promptly choked on his saliva and dissolved into a fit of violent coughs. " _Don't even_ _ **joke**_ _about something like that_!"

She was somewhat relieved to see him that distressed. "I can't help it. You've seen the facts and yet you still..."

Jace sat up and coughed into his fist while pounding the other into his chest.

The girl felt reluctantly amused.

Jace sent her a dark look as he finally got his coughing under control. "I didn't feel the need then to prove to you, over and over again, that we can't be siblings. But I do now. That's the reason why I've stopped taking my sweet time with you."

"Taking your sweet time?" She scoffed. " _That_ is what you consider 'taking your sweet time'?" She shook her head. "You _stalked_ me."

"I was doing recon. And that was for the Clave."

"Horsesh-!"

Jace covered her mouth before she could finish that, his dark look growing. "You have an angelic, _holy_ artifact inside of you. It mightn't react well to you issuing profanities."

He had a point there.

Slapping his hand away, Chloe glared at the golden-haired boy as she continued on the topic she'd been on before he'd covered her mouth. "You've basically already seen me naked because of your stalkery."

He cleared his throat. "I wasn't the one who told you to take your clothes off, especially in front of Alec!"

It wasn't Alec that she had to worry about. "You came into the bathroom that time after I showered."

"I gave you more than enough time to put a towel on, which I knew you would've done considering that _you knew we were there_. And anyway, there was no underhanded reason for why I went in there. I was really worried at that moment. You were acting strange."

Chloe stared at his face and realized in surprise that he was telling the truth.

"Not that, given the right circumstances, I wouldn't mind seeing what was under the towel." His smile was sin.

Chloe slapped his face with a pillow.

Jace burst out laughing as he pulled the pillow away from his face. "Sorry! Sorry!"

"You are not sorry." Her lips puckered out in a pout as she flushed darkly. "I swear, you're supposed to be the chosen of the angel, but you're more demonic than angelic if you ask me."

"Hey! That's a serious insult when talking to a Shadowhunter!" And yet he was still laughing. "If you'd said that to any other Shadowhunter they'd want your head!"

"Considering I'm housing one of their 'most precious and holy' relics, I'm sure they'd let it slide." She shrugged. "At least until we get it out of me."

Jace's laughter disappeared almost immediately as he sat back up and hugged the pillow to his chest. "I'm uneasy about that."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not too thrilled about it being there myself." She ran a hand down her chest to her stomach and back again, a small frown twisting her lips as she continued the slow motion. "And I still don't get how it got in there to begin with-or _why_ it's in there, here, _me_."

Jace's gaze darkened as he watched her. "Are you sure that all you remember is becoming unconscious and then the Mortal Cup wasn't in the card anymore?"

"I'm sure. If there was more I'd tell you." She looked up at him. "You're the only one I've told everything to."

He didn't look relieved, if anything Jace appeared more bothered as he reached out and placed his hand on her flat stomach. "Who knows what having that inside you all those years could've done to you?"

Chloe gulped as she looked up at him. "I feel fine."

"That's because it's still inside of you." Jace's eyes narrowed further. "What about whenever we take it out?"

Chloe placed her hand on top of Jace's. "I'll be _fine_."

"You can't really believe that," he scoffed. "You were what? Two years old when the Mortal Cup protected itself from destruction at your mother's hands by somehow going inside of you? Just _think_ about that huge thing fitting inside your tiny body! That alone must've damaged you!"

"Gees, Jace, you sure have a way of making a girl feel comforted." She raised an eyebrow at him. "And, you know, I'm starting to wonder how a huge goblet never appeared in my x-rays during my many hospital visits. Maybe it has some concealment magic on it... Which would be really cool now that I think about it."

"This isn't something to laugh about, Chloe!" He snapped as his golden orbs rose to hers. "We need to consider that it might be the best thing to just leave it in there."

Her eyes widened. "You can't be serious."

"That Cup might be the only thing keeping you alive right now because you're its host!" Jace glared at her. "If that's so then I say leave it in there."

"Valentine-."

"Never has to know where the Cup is." Jace interrupted. "He's been in your presence twice already and had no idea what was going on."

"That was because of the _block_ , Jace." Chloe glared at him. "And even then he could see a 'glow' to me. Now that the block is gone the next time he sees me he'll know that the Mortal Cup's inside my body."

"You don't know that!" Jace snapped.

There was a knock on the door. "Is everything alright in there?"

A muscle jumped in Jace's cheek. "It's all _peachy_."

The door opened to reveal Hodge, the man eyeing them in concern. "Whatever it was that you two were arguing about didn't _sound_ peachy." He straightened. "Do I have to remind you, Jace, that the girl is supposed to be _resting_?"

"No sir, you don't." Jace replied obediently.

"Good." Hodge nodded before his gaze went to Chloe. "Why don't you try and rest for a while? I'm going to take him with me to talk over some things."

Chloe gave him a small smile, realizing that he was trying to help her in his own way. "Have a good night, Hodge."

He gave a small nod. "You too, Miss Wayland." His gaze then went to Jace. "Let's go."

Jace took in a deep breath. "Yes sir." And with that he got up from the bed and slipped out of the room with his mentor, the door closing behind them.

Chloe stared at the door for a couple of minutes before she finally reached for the book Jace and her had been looking at before their argument. She read about Jonathan Shadowhunter and the ritual performed by the warlock, read about the runes that had been involved, runes which hadn't been used again ever since.

About an hour later there was a knock on the door.

Chloe looked up, knowing without a doubt that it wasn't Jace because he never knocked. "Come in!"

The door opened and Jocelyn stuck her head in. "Can I come in for a minute?"

"Sure." Chloe nodded and gave the woman a small smile. "How are you finding it staying in the Institute?"

"It doesn't feel like home." Jocelyn let the door close shut behind her as she made her way to the bed and sat on the edge of it, eyeing the books. "Researching the Cup?"

Chloe nodded. "I figured it was stupid of me to be looking for something I really didn't understand."

"Smart." Jocelyn picked up one of the books and eyed its contents before she snapped it shut and looked at Chloe. "I want to apologize to you."

Chloe blinked. "What for?"

"When I heard that Moira had left I knew something must've happened, and I knew that she'd left behind a little girl, but I didn't try to make an effort to be at Luke's shop and see you because I felt that I was doing right by Moira. I thought: this girl is a mundane and she'd be better off not having any sort of contact with the Shadow World, and Luke will look after her." Jocelyn sighed. "Now more than ever I realize that I was being selfish and scared."

"Scared?" Chloe didn't understand.

"You were proof that Moira was stronger than me, that she could move on and not live trapped in her old life and memories, while I couldn't." Jocelyn gave her a dark smile. "But I know now that if things had been different and I were the one leaving a child behind, I would've wanted _her_ to come look for my child... and she _would've_. She was a better person than I'll ever be."

Chloe eyed the redhead thoughtfully. "Don't be ridiculous."

Jocelyn looked up at her in surprise.

"Look, we've both done wrong by her." Chloe reached out and placed her hand on Jocelyn's. "I mean, look at me. I hated her for so many years because I thought she'd abandoned me without a second thought-only to find out that she basically sacrificed herself for me." The girl cleared her throat. "If she's the person that you and Luke say she is-I think she'd understand the both of us and has already forgiven us."

Jocelyn thought about what she'd said for a moment and then nodded. "You're probably right."

Chloe licked her lips. "Can you tell me about her? About young Moira? Shadowhunter Moira?"

Jocelyn smiled. "I'd like that."

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"How's Chloe doing?" Lana wanted to know as she eyed Clark over the latest edition of the Smallville Torch.

"Fine." Clark had made it his mission to help the girl and make sure that there was a newspaper for Chloe to come back to.

"Nell says that Gabe's stopped talking about her and that he gets this weird expression on his face whenever she asks him about her." Lana nibbled on the inside of her cheek. "Did they have some sort of fight or falling out?"

Clark looked up at that. "They're in a complicated situation Lana, that's all I can say."

"I figured as much." She sighed. "I hope that they can talk things through and resolve whatever issues they have because the little I've seen of Gabe, well, he looks gloomy."

Clark didn't know what to say about that so he just looked back down at the article he was helping edit.

Lana cleared her throat. "Did she leave home to shack up with that guy who was looking for her the other day? The blonde with the tattoos?"

Clark licked his lips. "I can't talk about this, Lana, but all I can say is that those two _are not_ together in the biblical way."

"Oh." Lana licked her lips. "Is he single then? Or is he going out with that girl who came with you guys as well?"

Clark frowned. "I don't know. I haven't asked."

"What's his name?" Lana pressed.

A muscle ticked in Clark's cheek. "He didn't even say hi to you, Lana. He totally blew you off when you introduced yourself."

Lana looked away, appearing hurt.

Clark sighed and continued editing, a headache beginning to form in his temples.

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Chloe didn't know what awoken her deep in the night, it wasn't that she'd heard anything, but whatever the reason she was awake now and found herself alone in the dark of her room. She might've had a dream about Valentine though, because Chloe could remember white-blonde hair and black eyes somewhere in the dark of her subconscious, and if she'd been dreaming of that lunatic she was going to push it further back and out of her mind. She didn't need thoughts of him bothering her even while she slept.

The girl shifted and looked around her and stepped out of bed with a yawn. She moved to the door and opened it as she peered out, wondering if maybe something out there had awoken her, but she couldn't hear a sound.

That is, until Church meowed.

The girl jumped and brought a hand to her heart. "Don't _do_ that!" She looked around. "Where are you, anyway?"

The cat emerged from the shadows and gave another meow before he left, tail flicking behind him.

Curious, the girl slipped out of her room and followed after the feline. She didn't know where he was going but the cat had proven smart in the past and she was intrigued, following the cat through the hallways of the labyrinth-like Institute until she finally heard the first notes and looked up in shock.

A small smile touched her face as she walked passed Church, now following the sound and not the cat as she reached a door behind which the muffled sound was barely heard. She opened the doors and slipped inside before closing them once more, her entrance quiet and hidden by the shadows, which helped hide her as she gazed upon Jace as he sat before a grand piano, the moonlight shining down on him and was his only light as his fingers danced over the keys.

She'd forgotten that he'd said he could play the piano, and wow, he hadn't been lying. He really _could_.

The sound coming from the piano wasn't only beautiful but filled with emotion, turbulent emotion.

Licking her lips Chloe didn't want to move, didn't want to risk breaking his concentration, and yet she wanted to get closer as well and listen at ease on one of the seats in the room. She kept her gaze on Jace as she silently made her way to the loveseat and sat down on it, hugging her knees to her chest as she leaned hard against a large cushion and closed her eyes as she listened to the melancholic sounds whirling throughout the room.

She felt lulled by the sounds and didn't realize she'd fallen asleep until she awoke once more, the girl jerking in surprise as she felt fingers trailing down the side of her face.

Jace's face was shadowed and his features not visible as he sat on the edge of the loveseat and stared down at her. "You were glowing."

She stared up at him in sleepy confusion. "What?"

"I don't know how long you've been here, but I realized you were here when I started to see something _glowing_ and I came to investigate." Jace brushed a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear. "It might be the glow Valentine talked about, but I've never seen it until now."

The girl sat up and yawned, a hand to her mouth as she did so. "If you can see it now, then he definitely will."

She didn't have to be able to see his face to know that Jace was frowning, his whole body tense. "I'm not going to let him hurt you."

Her lips curled in a smile as she stared up into his shadowed face, wishing she could make out his expression. "I'll hold you to that."

His hand, rough and calloused from years of battle, cupped her jaw.

She gulped, suddenly glad for the shadows that were hiding her blush from him right now.

Jace trailed his fingertips against the arch of her cheekbone before his thumb brushed against her lips, causing her heart to skip several beats.

Chloe stared up at him, her heart uncontrollable, and a part of her was terrified at just how deeply she felt for this guy, how much she _desperately_ wanted Valentine to be her father just so that Jace wouldn't be her brother. She had a feeling she really _was_ tainted, but at this moment, with the moonlight shining down behind Jace's golden head and casting a near halo around those tousled locks of golden silk, she honestly didn't _care_.

The girl reached out and grabbed Jace's shirt, visibly shocking the boy as she pulled him to her and kissed him. She knew this could end up being a colossal mistake, but she didn't care, couldn't fight herself or what she felt anymore, _didn't want to_.

Jace wrapped his arms around her as he took the kiss deeper.

Chloe's hands trailed up from his shirt to grab fistfuls of his golden hair as she arched into him, granting him better access to plunder her mouth, which he did with abandon. She whimpered, needing more, not getting enough, and surprised them both by letting go of his hair only to grab his shirt and force him onto the loveseat, the girl straddling his hips as she now took complete control of the kiss.

Jace groaned, his hands going to her hips and tightening into fists in her pajama shorts.

"What are you doing here, Church?" Hodge's voice whispered to the cat, causing the teens to freeze and duck down so that they were hidden from sight as the door to the room opened. "There's no one in there. Come now, we both seem to be in need of a good snack." The door closed and soft footsteps could be heard moving away.

The teens sat up as soon as it was safe once more, and Chloe pulled away, embarrassed all of a sudden due to her behavior, especially given the uncertainties between them. "We should go back to our rooms. Tomorrow is another day and you have patrol so..."

Jace was silent before he nodded and stood. "I'll walk you to your room."

She gulped. "That's not nece-."

"I insist," he interrupted.

Face flushing hot in the darkness, Chloe meekly accepted his offer and let him lead the way, but she wouldn't look at him the whole walk, and her goodnight at her door was rushed and embarrassed before she closed the door rapidly between them and leaned against it, sliding to the ground, her heart racing in her chest.


	17. Coming Clean

She'd had a restless night and she was sure it showed.

Lois, for some reason, was being very un-Loisy because while the brunette had obviously noticed that something was up she was giving Chloe space and not coming at her from every side trying to get the truth out of her. Moving in with Magnus seemed to have done wonders for the girl.

"So, the General called to check up on me. He wants to meet 'my man friend'." Lois rolled her eyes. "He seriously doesn't believe me when I say that _nothing_ is happening between me and Mags."

Chloe tried to imagine the meeting between the tight-britches general and the ever eccentric warlock. "Can I come and watch? I'll bring popcorn."

"You're evil." Lois gave her a look before she snickered, able to see why it was so funny. "To be honest though, I think the General's only doing this to get his mind off of Lucy."

Chloe blinked in surprise at that considering that Lois' younger sister had always been MIA thanks to her studies at some elite boarding school abroad. "What about Lucy?"

"Apparently she's been getting into contact with him, has him in a tizzy." Lois rolled her eyes. "He always said that Uncle Gabe got his ability to 'handle teenaged girls' from _his_ father and that the General had inherited his own father's temperament." She smirked. "They really don't seem like half brothers, huh?" She paused. "And have I ever mentioned how strange and incestuousy your mom was for picking _our_ surname for her maiden name? I mean, I'd always thought it weird, but figured she was somehow distantly related to my dad through _his_ dad and that that was why it wasn't _wrong_ or anything..."

Chloe blinked, never having thought about that. "I never thought your dad and my mom were related. Remember that my dad..." Chloe flinched at the reminder that 'her dad' _wasn't_ her dad, and hesitated before clearing her throat. "He always said that mom didn't get along with her family and they had nothing to do with her, so I always assumed that she was from a totally different Lane family."

"Well, dad never liked her, so that could still qualify him as her family." Lois pointed out. "It would've been cool if it were true because we'd still be cousins."

Chloe reached out and held Lois' hand. "We're more than just cousins, we're sisters."

Lois looked up at Chloe and smiled as she tightened that grip. "I can find a way to live with that."

Chloe grinned. "So, tell me, what's Lucy up to?"

"The General wouldn't actually say, just that she was being a headache and he wanted better migraine medicine." Lois shrugged. "You know that my sister and I have never been that close, so it's not surprising that I don't know what's going on in her life."

Chloe felt bad, as always, for the rift between the sisters.

"So, about Jocelyn..." Lois cleared her throat. "What's going on there between her and Luke?"

Chloe blinked in surprise. "I have no idea. What do you _think_ is going on there?"

"I don't know." Lois licked her lips and wouldn't look at the blonde. "They just seem really _chummy_."

"Well, apparently they've been close friends since childhood." She could remember that much. "And they _did_ work together to plan the Uprising with my mom, _and_ Luke was the only one who knew about them being here in Metropolis... So I suppose you could say the three of them are extremely close." She sidled Lois with a sideways glance. "I don't know if he and she are _like that_ though. I mean, I know they care about each other, but I haven't seen any hint of it being romantic yet."

Lois nodded before she cleared her throat. "Not that I care or anything that my weird effect on men in general has _no_ effect on _him_ _in specific_ whatsoever."

" _Lois_..."

"Enough about me though, let's talk about you." Lois turned her hazels on Chloe. "What's with all the unresolved sexual tension between you and brother-boy? Because let's not deny this any longer, you two have _seriously_ unsibling-like chemistry going on between you two and the _looks he gives you-damn_." She sat up straight. "Am I going to have to watch that remake of Flowers In The Attic with you? Because I have the dvd on pre-order in Amazon and I'm going to buy the books depending on what your answer is."

Chloe felt her face blush. "Lois..."

Lois took in a deep breath. "Okay, enough with the teasing." She went serious. "What's really going on here, Cuz? Is this due to something that happened between you two _before_ the Great Reveal, or has something happened since then?"

Chloe looked down. "A little of both."

Lois nodded as if she'd already guessed that answer. "And here I thought _I_ was the kinky one."

"Lois!" Chloe flushed scarlet and covered her face with her hands.

"How far has this progressed?" Lois wanted to know.

"Kissing, nothing more than kissing." But Chloe remembered last night and flushed at the thought of what might've happened had Hodge not unknowingly interrupted them.

"Like 'you're so cute I'm going to give you a quick peck on the cheek and/or lips' kissing, or full-on 'we're gonna make babies' kissing?" Lois leaned forwards.

Chloe's hands dropped from her face and she just stared at her cousin in horror. "Neither!" She then lowered her head. "Somewhere in between them? Maybe? A little more towards the last one but there were _no baby-making_ plans involved!"

Lois blinked. "Oh wow. Did he get to second base?"

" _LOIS_!" Chloe was horrified by now.

"Is that a yes or a no?" The brunette asked for clarification.

"I hate you." Chloe whimpered as she covered her burning face once more, remembering Jace's hand on her breast the night she'd tended to him while he was injured in her room.

"Oh my god. He _has_ gotten to second base!" Lois' eyes widened, reading her like a book. "Honey! If he's touched your goodies that was _well_ into the 'we're gonna make babies' realm!"

" _Lois! Will you_ **stop**?" Chloe might just _die_ from the embarrassment.

"Fine, fine." Lois held her hands up in submission. "One last question though."

She only accepted this because she knew she had no other choice. "And it would be?"

"Since when have you two been in love with each other?" Lois was all business. "Because given the fact that you're supposed to be brother and sister, I don't see either of you doing something like this merely because you were attracted to each other."

Chloe's eyes widened as she suddenly realized that Lois was right. " _...In... Love..._?"

Lois' face fell. "Honey, don't tell me you hadn't realized that yet!"

Chloe stared ahead of her in shock. "I _can't_... He could be my..."

Lois sighed as she reached out and hugged Chloe tightly as the girl shook in her arms. " _Good job, Lois_." She muttered darkly to herself under her breath. " _You just went and broke your cousin_."

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"What is it with the influx of demonic activity lately?" Alec wanted to know as he brushed sweat from his brow, the dead demons around them yet another wave that they'd had to crush.

"I have no idea." Isabelle leaned hard against a wall, sounding breathless. "But we're gonna have to start calling in reinforcements if this keeps up."

"I think we have things controlled on our own." Jace wiped the black blood off of his seraph blade.

Alec and Isabelle shared looks.

"Not _everyone_ has aggression issues they need to work out." Isabelle raised an eyebrow.

Alec sent his sister a warning look.

Jace sidled Isabelle with a sideways glance. "Is that so? And here I thought the mundane's totally ignoring your feminine wiles was what fueled your ferocious battling lately."

Alec slapped his hand to his face.

Isabelle chewed the inside of her mouth in an obvious effort to control her annoyance. "Clark Kent is _not_ 'totally ignoring' my feminine wiles. He's oblivious to anything that isn't Lana Lang. There's a difference."

"You're much prettier than she is." Jace surprised them both by shrugging. "The mundane is obviously touched in the head."

Isabelle blinked as she straightened. "Well, yes, I agree on both points, of course." She cleared her throat. "And anyway, I'm just having fun and passing the time when it involves Clark. Making him realize I'm a girl is a challenge and I've been bored for _far_ too long."

"We're in the middle of a potential apocalypse and she's _bored_." Alec rolled his eyes.

"I have to say though, I like having Jocelyn around." Isabelle surprised them. "I know she's only planning on staying with us until we can find the Mortal Cup, but I hope that by then she'll decide to stay on. She's an important player in the Uprising and I think there's a lot she could teach us."

Jace sneered. "You mean on how to run and hide?"

Isabelle narrowed her eyes on him. "You just don't like her because she keeps calling you Chloe's brother and you resent the reminder."

"What of it?" Jace shrugged.

Alec blinked in shock. "You're-admitting to it?"

Jace cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable for the first time since this conversation had begun. "Jocelyn should stop butting in where she isn't welcomed." He took in a deep breath. "Anyway, there's no definitive proof that Chloe's my sister, so that woman needs to stop saying that."

Alec's eyes widened. "Yes, there _is_."

" _No there isn't_." Jace snapped at Alec.

Isabelle narrowed her eyes at her adopted brother. "What aren't you telling us?"

Jace's gaze swung to the right as he put his seraph blade away. "Nothing."

Isabelle stormed up to Jace and grabbed him by his shirt. "That's _it_. Ever since that girl came you've been different and keeping secrets from us. If she's your sister or not, I don't really _care_ at this moment, because _we're_ your family. _We_ have _always_ been there for you and _deserve_ some trust from you!" She glared up viciously into his eyes. "So you are going to _stop_ keeping us out of the loop and tell us what you know! We're your family and we're here for you so _just get used to it!_ "

Alec sighed tiredly. "I agree with everything she said-minus the violence part."

Jace stared down at Isabelle before his gaze went to Alec and he sighed. "I trust you guys, it's just not my story to tell. If it was, you two would already know."

"Fine." Isabelle let go of him. "Be that way." And with that she turned and stormed away.

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"There has to be _some_ sort of clue that we've overlooked." Jocelyn ran her hand over her face. "I feel as if it's staring us straight in the eye."

Luke leaned hard against the wall. "Magnus said that Chloe's block was _attacked_ , didn't he?"

Jocelyn looked up, uneasy as she recalled that. "Yes."

"And that happened when she was inside of Wayland manor." Luke's eyes narrowed. "Which is close to the old Fairchild manor."

Jocelyn tensed. "You think that Valentine knew we were going to be there and attacked the block on Chloe's mind? But how would he have known we were there unless..."

"Unless someone is working for him within our group and feeding him that information." Luke let out a little growl. "These _are_ all children of his old followers who could easily leave in the middle of the night and sneak off to wherever he is to tell him what was going to happen."

Jocelyn didn't like the idea, but she knew she couldn't discard it. "We're going to have to keep an eye on them, interrogate them subtly."

Luke frowned. "And as soon as Magnus gives Chloe the all-clear, we need her to try and figure out what the block was up for. Now that it's gone she'll slowly start to remember things that could be helpful."

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The door was thrown open.

Chloe looked up, somehow knowing it wasn't Lois returning with food.

Isabelle stood in the doorway before she entered and slammed the door closed behind her as she stormed into the room. "You and I need to have a talk. _Now_."

Chloe raised an eyebrow as she sat up straighter. "About what?"

"About whatever it is that you have Jace keeping from us." Isabelle stalked to the side of the bed, eyes flashing. "You might be his sister by birth, but we're the ones who grew up with him, and that makes us just as much his siblings as _you are_ and I will _not_ have another woman try to tear my family apart!"

Chloe narrowed her eyes as she went over what the other girl had said. "What 'other' woman tried to do that?"

Isabelle's eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed before she looked away. "That was just a figure of speech!"

It didn't seem that way, the other girl was horrendously pale.

Chloe took in a deep breath. "I'm going to wait for Lois."

"Why?" Isabelle sneered. "Don't want to face me alone?"

Chloe shook her head. "Not at all. But if I'm going to tell _you_ then I'm sure as hell going to tell _her_." She eyed Isabelle. "You're not the only one with people who you love as family despite them being your blood or not."

Isabelle flinched before she pulled a seat out and sat down hard on it and looked away from Chloe.

Chloe took this opportunity to actually look at Isabelle, never having been alone with her before.

Isabelle turned her dark gaze on Chloe. " _What_?"

"I was wondering if I would've ended up like you if I'd been raised a Shadowhunter." Chloe shrugged.

Isabelle blinked and then narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you charge situations head on, me on the other hand, I usually do my best to avoid confrontations and problems." Chloe admitted. "We're very different."

"I could've told you that." Isabelle gave a little murmur. "Lois acts more Shadowhunter than you do."

Chloe let out a peal of laughter. "She does! She _really_ does!"

Isabelle seemed very unsure of the situation right now as she eyed Chloe. "Alec said you did this."

"Did what?" Chloe wiped at a tear of laughter from the corner of her eyes, her body still shaking with her chuckles.

"That you don't fight back, or rise to provocations." Isabelle pursed her lips slightly in displeasure. "I thought he just wasn't trying hard enough."

Chloe's lips twisted in a smile. "Well, you see, you two don't know me. When it comes to certain things I will _definitely_ fight back or 'rise to provocations' as you put it, but I get the two of you too well to do so. With Alec-I know what it's like being in love with someone who doesn't see you that way, and with you-I understand the protective need you have inside of you, that desire to hold onto your family and let no one ever come in between you or hurt them."

Isabelle frowned darker. "If you do, then why-?"

The door opened and Lois entered, Clark behind her with the tray in his hand. "I found Smallville on the way back and he-." Lois blinked. "Xena's here. That's a surprise."

Isabelle turned her frown from Chloe to Lois. "My name is _Isabelle_."

"Sure it is." Lois waved that off as she turned to Chloe. "What's going on?"

"Close the door please." Chloe motioned to it.

Lois yanked Clark fully inside of the room and shut the door. "I repeat: what's going on?"

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Isabelle was frozen as the blonde finished telling them everything. She'd figured that it had to be something important, that there had to be a good reason for why Jace had kept things from them, but she'd never expected that it was something like this! She didn't know what to do or how to react to all of the revelations that Chloe had just laid down in front of them as if this was nothing, and suddenly she wanted to slap up the girl for having said all of this in front of the two mundanes because damn it, how did they know they could _really_ trust them?

"So you could actually be Voldemort's daughter." Lois gulped. "And on top of that you have Helga Hufflepuff's Cup inside of you, which he will probably want to rip out of you in his desire to make it a horcrux."

Chloe nodded slowly, apparently somehow getting this odd code in which Lois spoke. "That's the basic gist of it."

"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Apparently Clark also got what Lois was saying.

It must be some sort of mundane lingo that Isabelle hadn't come across while on patrol.

"How do you have a _Cup_ inside of you? How does that work?" Lois moved closer to her cousin on the bed, clearly fascinated and horrified at the same time. "And _how_ did it not show up in the _countless_ xrays you've had throughout your life?"

"My thoughts exactly!" Chloe's eyes widened. "It must have some sort of Invisibility Cloak over it or something."

And now _Chloe_ was speaking weird.

Clark stared hard at Chloe, at her body.

Isabelle raised an eyebrow at him. "Eyes on the face, buddy."

He turned to look at her in confusion. "Huh?"

Lois poked Chloe's stomach. "I still don't get how this is possible."

Chloe rolled her eyes at her cousin.

Clark cleared his throat. "Can we talk? Just the two of us?"

Chloe looked up at him in confusion before she nodded. "Of course."

Isabelle stared between them, eyes narrowed.

Lois sighed and stood up from the bed. "Come on, Princess Mononoke."

Isabelle frowned as she stood up and followed the brunette out. " _Isabelle_. My name is _Isabelle_!"

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Chloe patted the bed next to her and waited for Clark to kick off his shoes after a moment's hesitation and join her before she turned to face him completely. "Lay it on me. I'm ready for your scolding."

Clark cleared his throat and shook his head. "That's not it. I just realized that I'm being a hypocrite."

Chloe blinked in confusion as she hugged a pillow to her chest. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't expect _you_ to keep telling me all of your deep dark secrets without doing the same." He sighed. "You're trusting me, and I need to do the same with you."

Now she was seriously getting nervous.

Clark licked his lips. "I've never actually told anyone about this-and my parents would _kill_ me if they knew what I was doing right now-but-uh." He took in a deep breath and turned his baby blues on her. "You can't tell _anyone_ what I'm about to tell you."

Chloe nodded. "Of course, Clark."

He took in another deep breath. "I'm alien."

Chloe hesitated. "As in... weird?"

Clark's tension disappeared into a fit of nervous chuckles. " _No_. As in extraterrestrial."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

Clark nodded, clearly nervous.

Chloe eyed him in silence before she threw her pillow on the ground and hugged Clark tightly, her voice soft as she whispered into his ear. "Your secret's safe with me."

"You're not gonna ask for some proof?" He squeaked as he hugged her back.

"Of course not! I believe you. I always knew there was something special about you, Clark." She pulled back and smiled up at him. "I just didn't realize you were _literally_ out of this world."

He blushed. "I'm not all that."

"You're always there to help people when they need you." She pressed. "You _are_."

He blushed darker. "Please."

Chloe smiled as she reached up to cup his face.

Clark was scarlet by now as he pulled her hands from his face. "Um, one of the reasons why I told you was because, well, I have certain... _abilities_."

Chloe's eyes widened. "You're cooler than I thought you were."

He was practically a tomato. "I-I only just discovered this summer that I have abilities, and so far I have this amazing endurance, which was how I was able to last running behind the taxi you took from Smallville to Metropolis without dying, and, well, _sometimes_ I can, uh, see through things."

Chloe's eyes were wide like saucers. "You can-?" She then sat up on her knees and started unbuttoning her shirt. "Can you see through me? Can you see the Cup?"

Clark gave a little cry and grabbed at her shirt, pulling it back together. "Chloe! Don't just-!"

" _Can you_?" Chloe pressed.

" _Button back up your shirt_." Clark pleaded.

She nodded and did as told.

Clark kept his head lowered in embarrassment. "I'm still _learning_ to control this ability, Chloe. But sometimes, when I have intense bouts of emotion, I can get control of it." He took in a deep breath. "I tried looking through you when you told us about the Cup, and while the ability didn't last long, I know I didn't _see_ a Cup inside of you."

Chloe frowned. "So the invisibility cloak even works on handsome ETs?"

Clark's blush flared up once more. "Let me finish, _please_!"

The blonde nodded. She'd thought he _had_ finished.

"While I didn't see an actual _Cup_ inside of you, I saw some sort of glowing, moving, living _energy_." Clark narrowed his eyes. "I only saw it for a split second before you were solid once more, but I think that that's the Cup-or at least it's essence."

"I didn't realize it could do that." Chloe blinked. "But it would make more sense than for me to have an actual, solid cup inside of me."

Clark nodded in agreement. "I think this Cup is in energy form for now."

Chloe stared up at Clark. "The question now is: how do I get it out of me and into solid form again?"


	18. Revelations

Chloe wondered how in the world she was going to tell Jace and the others about this new development concerning the Cup without telling them about Clark's secret (because there was no way in hell she'd break his confidence and reveal he was a handsome ET) but she was considering saying it was a 'theory'. She knew that when Jace got back and found out that she'd told everyone (well, almost everyone) about the Mortal Cup he was going to be _seriously_ pissed, but then again, maybe he'd split some of that annoyance between her and Isabelle considering that it had been the girl's actions which had brought about the reveal. Then again, considering that Isabelle had rushed back out to where Jace and Alec were, she'd probably gone to confront him herself about what she'd discovered, so he must definitely know about it already.

Oh boy.

This would not be fun.

Lois had stayed on despite it was Clark's shift, and Chloe's only remaining ties to her old life, both whom she loved and adored, had spent the whole evening arguing on whether The Hobbit movies were as good as The Lord of the Rings movies, and Clark and Lois were close to trading actual blows because Lois declared that the lack of innumerable and seriously hot men like in the first trilogy made the Hobbit less appealing while Clark announced it was the _story_ that counted, not the hotness of the men. Lois, of course, scoffed at the very thought.

Chloe smiled and watched in amusement as the bells on Lois' newest piece of jewelry, her bracelet, jingled as she shook her hand at Clark and schooled him on how the hotness of the men starring in it had _everything_ to do with if a movie was interesting or not.

Suddenly, Church could be heard meowing loudly at the door, scratching at it viciously, urgently.

Chloe's eyes narrowed, fear gnawing at her gut. "Something's happened."

Clark stood. "I'm going to go see what's going on. You two stay here." And with that he hurried to the door, opened it, and followed in the direction the cat had taken off in immediately.

Lois and Chloe shared looks as they sat in bed, but when ten minutes passed and Clark had not come back yet they shared looks once more and got up as they chorused at the same time: "I've gotta know what's going on." The cousins then smiled at each other and turned to hurry out the door.

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"Hodge has got to be in the know," Chloe rationalized as she led the way to the Head Honcho's office.

Lois felt seriously wiggy as she followed after her cousin and looked around her. There was something dank in the air, something that just seemed _off_ and she kept eyeing her cousin in worry as she kept up with her.

The two made it to Hodge's office and Chloe threw the door open as she rushed in.

There was an odd sound behind them and Lois hesitated, looking around them warily before she ventured into the office and closed the door firmly behind them.

"Jace!" Chloe's voice drew Lois' attention as she turned to see that Jace and Hodge were by the lit fireplace. "Are you okay? What's going on?"

"Miss Wayland, Miss Lane." Hodge stood taller as he eyed them.

Lois hurried to get closer to them, her whole body _cold_ as she hugged herself. "What's _wrong_ with this place?"

Hodge narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you mean?"

"Something… something is _off_." Lois' teeth chattered slightly as that cold grew even as she drew closer to the fireplace.

"Alec and I were attacked by a Greater Demon, he's been scratched by its talons and its poison is inside of him." Jace spoke only to Chloe, his face pallid. "The runes won't work, won't heal him. If Isabelle hadn't come back-."

Chloe brought her hand to her mouth to silence her gasp before asking: "What can we do to help?"

"I've sent Jocelyn and Luke to get Magnus Bane." Hodge took in a deep breath. "He is the only one who can help us now."

Lois stared around her, eyeing Hugo, Hodge's bird as it hovered just above them, a flash of fear racing down her spine. "Something… no… something's not…" She brought her hand to her head and whimpered. "What _else_ is wrong here?"

Hodge's gaze went to her and narrowed further. "Miss Lane. What are you feeling right now?"

She felt almost claustrophobic, her hand going to her throat. "I-."

Chloe's eyes narrowed on her in worry as she moved closer. "Lo?"

Even Jace looked concerned.

Suddenly Hodge's eyes narrowed in understanding and he turned to the raven. " _Hugin_."

With an unearthly caw the bird dove straight for Lois' face, claws outstretched.

Lois cried out in confusion and fear as the world became feathers and talons, the girl batting desperately at the creature attacking her, pain blooming along her cheek as she was unable to fend off all of the attacks.

She could hear Chloe yell her name, and then Jace shout.

Suddenly an agonizing pain shot up her body and Lois felt her legs go out from under her as she slipped and fell to the floor.

"That's enough, Hugo." Hodge's voice was quiet.

Obediently the bird flew away, leaving her.

Lois looked up as she gasped, wiping at the blood from her face as she gazed at how the scene had changed.

Hodge stood, holding Chloe tightly by her upper arm, and Jace lay on the floor at their feet, very still, as if he'd fallen asleep all of a sudden.

"You sonofa-!" Lois tried to move but couldn't, and was terrified to realize she was paralyzed.

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked Hodge, her voice slightly elevated and her face pale. "What did you do to them? To her? She's mundane! If you've-!"

"She's safe, and he's not been hurt." Hodge seemed to want to assure Chloe, still not seeming the villain despite it all. "Do not worry about your cousin. The girl is not hurt and will not be hurt either. I have made sure of that."

"You sick-!" Lois snarled as she tried to move but couldn't even lift her middle finger to him.

"Why are you doing this?" Chloe seemed to want to talk him out of whatever he had planned. "Why are you-?" She gasped. "Is this something the Clave wanted?"

He sighed, seeming so tired. "When the Clave finds out what has happened at this Institute I will be long gone."

Lois stopped trying to fight, confused.

Chloe seemed to get it though, her eyes widening. "You haven't told them _anything_ , have you? They're not here _not_ because they don't know if Valentine is watching. They _just don't know_." She let out a stuttered breath. "You work for Valentine."

"I do not work _for_ him." Hodge seemed adamant to clarify that as he bent them down and withdrew something from Jace's hand, it was the engraved ring Jace always wore. He slipped it onto his own finger as he straightened them up once more, leaving Jace on the floor. "But I _am_ Valentine's source of information, that is true."

Lois felt her heart skip a beat in horror. "What information did you give him?"

Hodge never answered her. Instead he swiftly twisted the ring three times around his finger before he slipped it off and instead slid it onto Chloe's thumb.

For a second nothing seemed to happen, and then the sound of a door opening echoed around the room. Lois' gaze went instinctively to the door to Hodge's office, relieved at the thought that Luke was back with Magnus, but that door was still firmly shut. Her hazels, narrowed in confusion, returned to Hodge in time to see that the air beside Hodge was shimmering, like the surface of a lake seen from a distance. The shimmering wall of air parted like a silver curtain, and then a tall man was standing next to Hodge and Chloe.

Lois didn't have to ask who he was, didn't have to wonder, the horror on Chloe's face the only thing she needed to know as to the identity of this man. _So this is Valentine_.

"Starkweather," he spoke, his black eyes on the man. "I assume you have the Cup?"

Hodge tightened his grip on Chloe and yet didn't say a word, he looked a mixture of fearful and astonished. "My Lord Valentine. I had not expected you so quickly."

"I told you I would come to you through a Portal." His voice was uninterested, although slightly mocking. "Didn't you believe me?"

"Yes. It's just-I thought you'd send Pangborn or Blackwell, not yourself."

He sneered at the very thought. "You think I would send them to collect the Cup? I'm not a fool. I know its lure." His gaze then finally turned on Chloe and he froze, those impassive black eyes widening as he took half a step towards her. " _It cannot be_."

Lois was going to vomit. "Stay away from her you creep!"

But Valentine didn't even seem to hear her as he drew nearer to Chloe, a mixture of horrified and fascinated as he reached out to cup her face, tilting it up to face him. "How is it that I did not realize before that-?" His eyes widened and he then chuckled darkly. "What a sneaky little mouse you are, Moira." His thumb brushed over Chloe's cheek. "So _that_ was what the block was for." He turned to Hodge. "Give her to me."

Hodge held onto her tightly. "I want what you promised me first."

"First? You don't trust me?" He smirked with no humor. "A bargain is a bargain, Starkweather, although I have to say that I was highly surprised to get your message. I would've thought a life a hidden contemplation wouldn't be something you would have minded all that much. You never were much for the battlefield."

"You don't know what it's like," Hodge let out his breath in a hiss. "Being afraid all the time-."

"That's true. I don't." Valentine sounded like he pitied Hodge in the same way one would something insignificant and disgusting but which didn't have the fault for the way it was. The dislike and scorn was visible in his features. "If you don't intend to give her over to me, then why summon me?"

Hodge gulped. "It isn't easy to betray those who trust you."

Lois narrowed her eyes, suddenly realizing that Hodge was hesitating.

Valentine tilted his head. "Do you mean the Lightwoods or their children?"

"Both." He whispered.

"Ah, yes, Maryse and Robert." Valentine sneered. "Do you really owe them anything considering they let you be cursed in their stead? They should've shared in this punishment of yours but because of their high connections in the Clave they got off so much easier than you did, they can even return to Idris while you are left here rotting in their place. You and I wouldn't have done that, wouldn't have let a friend suffer in our places, but they did. And that does not make them worthy of your hesitation."

Oh, he was _good_.

"T-the children-," Hodge closed his eyes tightly.

"Since when did you become so fond of children?" Valentine sounded highly amused.

" _Jace_ …" Hodge whispered.

"You will not speak of him." Valentine's amusement turned into immediate anger as his gaze finally turned to the boy on the floor. "He is bleeding." He observed that casually. "Why?"

"It's not his blood. He's unconscious but not injured."

Valentine chuckled darkly. "I wonder what the boy will think of you when he wakes. Betrayal is never pretty, but to betray a child-that's double betrayal, don't you think?"

"You won't hurt him," Hodge whispered to himself, as if trying to convince himself of this. "You swore you wouldn't hurt him."

"I never did that," Valentine countered.

" _Hodge, don't you_ _ **dare**_ _do this_." Chloe finally spoke, and her voice was oddly strong, her eyes narrowed on Valentine. "You can give me to him. I give you _full permission_ to do so. But you _do not_ give him Jace!"

"Chloe you idiot!" Lois screamed and was once more ignored.

"Such a commanding presence she has, isn't that right, Starkweather?" Valentine chuckled as he eyed her once more. "Imagine if her mother had not stupidly, _selfishly_ hidden her from me and I had been able to train her, raise her, mold her, _free_ her into becoming the fierce lioness just simmering beneath the surface." His black eyes pierced her. "That I could assure that no _weakness_ was within her."

Chloe tilted her chin upwards. "Why don't you get Hodge to take off whatever rune he put on me and then we'll see how weak I am?"

"Rune?" Valentine turned to Hodge questioningly and then smirked when the man turned her arm slightly to reveal the mark there. "Ah, a Binding rune. Effective." He turned his gaze on Hodge. "You know that even if you kill me the Clave will never lift your curse. You'll hide here till you die, terrified to do so much as open a window too widely. What wouldn't you trade away to not be afraid any longer? What wouldn't you give up to go home again?"

"You sadistic bastard," Lois whispered as she stared at the look on Hodge's face.

Hodge appeared about to breakdown and cry. "Tell me you won't hurt him, and I'll give her to you."

"No." Valentine's voice was soft yet sure. "You'll give her to me anyway." And with that he reached out his hand.

"Hodge, don't!" Lois screamed, by now sure that they couldn't hear or see her but still unable to keep quiet or stop struggling.

"You don't _need_ Jace." Chloe didn't seem to think speaking to Hodge himself would change anything, so she spoke to Valentine instead. " _Please_. I'll come. I'll go willingly. But just _leave him_. _**Please**_."

Valentine eyed her and then Jace in deep contemplation. "Such heartfelt pleading for the boy."

Hodge closed his eyes and looked the picture of despair as he handed her over to Valentine.

"Thank you." Valentine took her from Hodge and eyed her thoughtfully. "What is the boy to you, my little Cup Bearer?"

She gulped and stared up into his black eyes. " _ **Please**_."

He eyed her in interest before reaching down to pick up Jace as if he weighed nothing, flinging the boy over his shoulder while still holding onto Chloe's arm. "This will make for an interesting night." He tightened his grip on her arm and forced her to walk besides him as he made his way towards the shimmering curtain of air that he'd come through, that Portal he'd talked about.

"Don't you-!" Lois tried.

Hodge reached out an imploring hand. "Wait! Is it done? Am I free?"

"You are." Valentine turned his head to look hard at the man, who gasped and stepped back as if something had struck him in his heart, black fluid seeping around his splayed fingers and trickling to the floor. "May your bought freedom bring you joy." And with that he stepped through the curtain of glowing air, yanking Chloe along with him, and for a moment they seemed to shimmer as if underwater before they vanished, taking Jace with them.

Lois stared at the air where the Portal had been seconds ago before she screamed. "HODGE! LET ME OUT YOU ASSHOLE!"

He finally turned and acknowledged her. "Don't worry, you are safe. You will only stay like this until I am a safe distance away from the Institute."

"I don't _care_ about me!" She was doing her best to keep from crying. " _How_ could you do that? They trusted you and you gave them to him! He's going to kill them!"

"He didn't say that."

"He didn't have to!" Lois screamed back. "They trusted you and you traded them for an end to a curse you deserve!"

"Is that what you think?" He asked tiredly.

"It's what I know." She glared at him.

"You only know bits and fragments, Miss Lane, and it is better for you that way. You are young and the past means nothing to you. The Clave cursed me because I aided Valentine, but I was hardly the only one who did so. The Lightwoods, the Waylands, the Lanaera-they were _all_ just as guilty and yet they weren't cursed as I was, to live my life without being able to set so much as a foot outdoors, not so much as a hand through the window."

"That's not _our_ damned fault!" Lois snarled at him, not wanting to feel even an ounce of pity for this man. "Look, just, just _let me go_. Tell me where Valentine is. I won't tell the others, I'll just-."

"No." He shook his head. "You were not raised as one of us. You have no part of this life of scars and killing. You can still get away." He turned his gaze on Lois. "Leave the Institute, Miss Lane, as soon as you can. Leave and _never_ come back."

She couldn't believe he thought she was capable of such cowardly actions. "I can't, and even if I could, I _wouldn't_."

"Then you have my condolences," he whispered before he walked out of the room.

"Hodge!" Lois screamed. "HODGE!" But he didn't come back and no one else came either, and she realized in horror that she was stuck there for as long as he was still close to the Institute. She shook her head, about the only thing she _could_ move, and refused to believe that she was such a useless person as this. There was no way that she could just stay there and _wait_ _to be freed_ , like some damned fairytale princess!

She had to move. She _had_ to. The girl wouldn't just sit down and-!

" _SOMEONE! ANYONE! DAMN IT!_ " Lois tried to move with all her might, sweat dripping down her face, terror bubbling up in her body at the thought of what Valentine might be doing to Chloe right now. She was even worried about Jace, surprisingly enough.

She didn't know how long she'd been struggling, but her fingers were twitching now, and muscles sore.

Suddenly the door flew open and Luke and Jocelyn stepped in.

"Hodge, we've brought-!" Jocelyn paused as she looked around the room. "Everyone must be by Alec's side. Come on, Magnus should be there by now." She turned and exited the room.

"GUYS!" Lois screamed. "I'M HERE! _I'M HERE!_ "

Luke narrowed his eyes on the room, clearly hesitating as he turned to follow Jocelyn out.

"LUKE!" Lois screamed, tears of frustration falling down her face. " _LUKE, PLEASE!_ " He was closing the door. " _ **DAMN IT LUKE! NOTICE ME FOR ONCE IN YOUR DAMNED LIFE! I'M HERE! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!**_ "

The door stopped inches from closing before it opened and Luke peered inside once more, his face scrunched up in confusion.

Lois let out a gasped cry of relief. "You can hear me… or sense me… or _something_." She cried a shaky laugh as she sniffled. " _ **Luke! Luke I'm**_ _ **here**_ _ **. Luke!**_ "

The werewolf frowned as he stepped back in cautiously and took a whiff of the air. "Lois? Are you in here?"

She was crying now, tears falling down her face as she continued to scream as loudly as she could. " _ **Over here!**_ "

The werewolf still didn't seem able to hear her but sniffed the air once more as he moved closer and closer to her, his eyes narrowing as he seemed to pick up her scent stronger as he did so.

"Luke, I could _kiss_ you!" Lois grinned brightly at him through her tears as she found her body finally able to twitch.

Luke circled her before he turned his head and eyed her face-on, the werewolf slowly lowering to his knees on the ground and reaching out, his palm hitting the barrier that kept her prisoner. His eyes flashed gold. " _Lois_?"

She smiled and nodded. "I'm here."

Suddenly he snarled and slammed his knuckles into the barrier.

Lois' eyes widened. "What are you-?"

Luke slammed his fist into the barrier over and over again, his knuckles cut and bloody as his eyes remained that wolf-gold.

"Stop it!" Lois screamed, horrified. "You're hurting yourself! Stop! _Please_!"

He hit the barrier harder and harder.

" _ **Please**_!" Lois whimpered as she stared at his knuckles.

Suddenly, with one last roar and slam of his knuckles, the barrier came crumbling down around her like broken glass.

Lois eyes widened as she looked up at him. " _Are you okay_?"

His wolf-eyes stared down at her. "Are _you_?"

Lois flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around Luke's neck as she cried into his neck.

Luke froze, his whole body tense before he slowly, awkwardly, brought his arms around her and patted her back. "Lois? You-were marked with a rune."

"And you hurt yourself! You damned werewolf!" She held on tighter. "I'm going to _kill_ Hodge with my bare hands!"

He tensed harder. " _Starkweather_ did this to you? _Why_?"

She pulled away and looked up into Luke's face, her eyes filled with tears. "He gave them to Valentine, Luke." Her breath came out in an emotional stutter. "Chloe and Jace are gone and there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening."

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Jace stared down at the sleeping blonde's face, the girl glowing brighter than the moonlight in the darkness. He'd awoken to find himself in bed with her, the boy confused and disoriented because he didn't know this place, and then he remembered Hodge's attack and his worry increased ten-fold. Where were they? What had Hodge _done_? And why would he do it?

"You don't have to worry, she's merely sleeping." An oddly familiar voice said from the shadows.

Jace twirled around and reached for his seraph blade, only to remember he didn't have it.

A dark chuckle came from the man in the shadows. "That is why I took your blade from you for now. So we could talk."

"Who are you, where are we, and what have you done to Chloe?" Jace's eyes narrowed, trying to get a good view of the man and yet unable to thanks to the darkness.

"I told you, she's sleeping, for now." That voice was calm and far from hostile. "She needs her rest. I do not think they were taking proper care of her." There was an exhale of breath. "Look at her, look at that glow and how it's increased now that she's away from them."

Jace wouldn't look away from this man, darkness creeping inside him. "You're Valentine, aren't you?"

"Yes." The man moved in the shadows as if he belonged there, moving closer to Chloe's side of the bed.

" _Don't come any closer to her_ ," Jace hissed viciously. "I don't care if you're her father, and I don't care if I don't have a weapon, I will _tear you apart with my bare hands_ if you so much as-."

"Her father?" Valentine asked curiously. "Whatever gave you the belief that she was my child?"

Jace froze, horror filling him. "You said she belonged to the house of Morgenstern. You said-."

"I did, and she does, but that doesn't mean that she's my child." Valentine interrupted easily. "That girl is _not_ my daughter."

Jace felt cold as confirmation hit him straight in the gut. Chloe was a Wayland. She was his sister. He-he _was in love with his sister_. He desperately _**wanted**_ _his sister_.

"Don't worry, that doesn't change the fact that I do not plan on killing her. Her not being my daughter makes her much more valuable to me than if she had been." The man spoke no sense. "You mightn't believe it now, Jonathan, but I want nothing more than for the both of you to be safe and sound."

Jace's eyes widened further. "How do you-?"

"We will find a way to remove the Mortal Cup from her without damaging her. She is not to be hurt, by _anyone_. That girl, and the Cup within her, are the corner stones to _everything_. And they _both_ must be protected."

He was confused and disoriented. "What are you-?"

"I must admit, I am curious as to what your relationship is with her though." He once more didn't let Jace finish his question. "She is scared of me, erroneously so, obviously believing the lies that have been told about me, painting me as the villain in this story. And yet she tried to trade herself for you, for your safety." There was a pause. "You must be very important to her."

Jace felt his stomach clench at this. "That idiot did _what_?!"

There was a soft chuckle. "I see that she is important to you as well."

Jace didn't like this. "I don't know what your game-plan is, but if you think I'm going to fall for your words and just let you-."

"Jonathan." Valentine stepped forwards into the moonlight, letting it bathe him for the first time and reveal himself completely. "It's _me_."

Jace's breath left him in complete horror as he stared at the man he'd never thought he'd ever see again. " _Father_?"


	19. Valentine Morgenstern, Master Surgeon

Chloe whimpered as she awoke, her body heavy as she stretched and yawned. Her sleepy contentment disappeared the second her eyes opened and she realized that _once more_ she'd awoken in a place she didn't recognize, reminding her all-too-much of the first time she'd awoken to find herself in the Institute. Where was she? What had happened?

That was when the memories came back flooding to her and she sat up in the four-post bed, pulling the sheets up to her chest in horror.

Valentine!

Hodge had handed her and Jace to _Valentine_!

Fear filled her throat and left her speechless when all she wanted to do was scream.

Movement by the window caused her terrified greens to turn towards it and then widen when she got her first glance of Jace. Moonlight flooded into the room, falling on his face and golden hair, the latter which created an almost halo. His left hand held the curtain aside, the countless candles burning around the room lending the view an almost _romantic_ texture to it.

" _Jace_?"

He turned and dropped the curtain in place at the sound of her voice, his eyes wide as he came closer to the bed. "You're awake."

" _You're okay_." She threw the sheets off of her and stumbled off of the bed, throwing herself at Jace, her arms encircling his neck as she hugged him tightly, shaking as she buried her face in his shirt. " _I was so worried about you_!"

Jace's arms went around her, securing her body to his as he lowered his face to hers, pressing soft kisses against her cheek and jawline. "You stupid idiot… Trying to trade yourself for me?"

She clung to his shirt, trembling. "I was scared he'd hurt you."

" _What about_ _ **you**_ _?"_ He whispered fiercely as he clung to her tighter. "If he hadn't brought me I'd never have forgiven you for doing something so reckless!"

"He was going to take me anyway." Her voice wavered as his lips slowly made their way down her neck. " _Jace…_ "

Something in her voice made him growl as he began to slowly move, to lead her backwards until the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed and they tumbled wordlessly onto it, his body pinning her against the mattress.

Chloe's breath left her as she gazed up into his shadowed face.

Jace, hands on either side of her head, stared down at her. "If anything had happened to you…"

Chloe gulped. "Don't you know already that I feel the same way about _you_?"

Something crossed Jace's face, his hands trembling. "You belong to me. You're _mine_."

Desire coiled in Chloe's stomach like a snake as her heart raced. If they were at the Institute, or in any other situation, she would try and laugh this off, to push him away with a reminder that they weren't sure about their relationship, but they were trapped by Valentine and might soon very well be dead. And if that was the case, she wanted this to be her last memory. "Just as long as you're mine too."

That emotion scrunched his features for a split second as he clutched fistfuls of the bedsheets, his breathing accelerated, his pupils dilated, the boy visibly barely keeping control of himself. "You don't-Chloe, the reason you were created, you were _born_ , was to be _mine_." His breathing was growing harsher as his body was taunt against hers. " _So I could claim you_."

Her body was on fire, the girl staring up into his face, which was contorted with his fight to keep control of himself and his obvious desire. On impulse she reached down and cupped him through the material of his pants, a dark thrill shooting through her at the sound that escaped his lips as he betrayed his pleasure.

"You… little… _demon_ …" he whimpered, his lips parted and a cry escaping them as he hands shook harder. "I'm trying-I'm trying to tell you something important and- _by the Angel_!"

This wasn't the time to talk, not when Valentine could come and kill them at any second.

Chloe reached up with her free hand and cupped the back of his head, pulling him in to meet her kiss as she opened her mouth to him and kissed him deeply.

Jace groaned into her mouth, almost as if in pain as he kissed her desperately before moving his hands to grab her shoulders and push her down and away as he arched upwards, breathing harshly. His eyes were molten gold and almost glowed in the candlelight as he breathed loudly, his voice strained. " _You're not my sister_."

" _I don't_ _ **care**_ _!_ " She fought his hold on her.

Jace looked in agony as she said that and he hung his head. "You're making it _**very**_ difficult for me to control myself long enough to tell you this and not just take you right now." His grip was still shaking. "You're Michael Wayland's daughter."

"I just told you that I don't-."

"But he's not _my_ father."

Chloe went still, eyes wide as she stopped struggling and just _looked_ up at Jace. " _What_?"

"I can't do this while touching you." He pushed away from her and stood, taking in deep breaths as he ran his fingers through his hair.

It was only then that Chloe _really_ looked at him. The last time she'd seen him he'd been cut and bruised, clothes stained with dirt and blood, his hair filthy with ichor and dust. That was a far cry from the young man who stood in front of her now. Jace was dressed in a loose white shirt and dark pants, his scrubbed hair falling all around his face, pale gold and flyaway. He swept away some of those flyaway strands from his face and that was when she noticed that he was wearing the Wayland ring that Hodge had slipped onto her finger.

She gulped and leaned up on her elbows. "What do you _mean_ Michael Wayland isn't your father?"

"I mean that my father's alive, when I thought he'd been murdered-he was faking it to keep me protected." Jace let out a stuttered breath. "He's alive. He's here. I've seen him, talked to him, and he told me-he clarified _so many things_."

"What did he clarify?" Chloe slowly sat up in the bed and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to her chest.

The door opened and Valentine entered, stopping when he noticed them. "I thought you would sleep through the night." He turned to Jace. "You didn't awaken her, did you? I've already told you that she needed to rest."

"She awoke on her own, father." Jace shook his head. "I wouldn't endanger her health."

Father?

 _ **Father**_?

Chloe's eyes widened in horror as she looked from Valentine to Jace and then back. " _No_. You are _not_ Jace's father, you're just trying to trick us, to get Jace to do what you want him to do." She shook her head. "His father was Michael Wayland! The Lightwoods-."

"Were misinformed," Valentine interrupted. "They truly do believe that Jace is the son of their friend, Michael, as does the Clave. Even the Silent Brothers were fooled, although soon enough everyone will know the truth."

"But the Wayland ring-." Chloe's gaze went to the ring Jace wore.

"Yes, the ring." Valentine's gaze went to the ring as well, where it glittered around Jace's finger like snake scales. "Funny, isn't it, how an M worn upside down appears to be a W? Though, of course, if one had truly inspected the ring they would've wondered why the Wayland ring had a depiction of a falling star on it when their insignia was a Blacksmith's hammer and their seal a horseshoe. But it isn't strange if you see the ring as an M, as a falling star, which we both know is the symbol of the Morgensterns."

Chloe felt herself going cold, remembering her earlier conversation with Valentine at her house. "Morning Star."

"Yes." He nodded, visibly pleased that he didn't have to remind her. "See, Jonathan? I told you she would understand."

" _Jonathan_?" Chloe felt so cold, so hollow, remembering the name of Valentine's son with Jocelyn. "I thought your name was Jace."

"That's a nickname for my initials." His voice was soft. "My name is Jonathan Christopher."

"So Jocelyn-."

"She's my mother." Jace nodded, face visibly conflicted. "My father lied and told me she'd died because he hadn't wanted me growing up knowing the truth about how she'd never cared about me. Better a dead mother than one that hated you."

Chloe then remembered what Jocelyn had said about Valentine, about what he'd done to their son, and her eyes widened in horror as she realized that Jace was tainted with Demon and Downworlder blood. She turned to Valentine, furious. "You experimented on him! You put all sorts of things in him that had no right being there! You're the reason she was so scared of him! _You_! This is all _your_ fault!"

Anger flashed over Valentine's face before he pushed it back. "It was that Downworlder who filled her with lies, who turned her against us. I admit to unconventional methods of action, but everything I did to Jonathan I did for his own betterment, so he could be the best Shadowhunter out there, so he could be strong and fierce and could help save those who needed saving." He stepped forwards. "How is what I did any different from what Jonathan Shadowhunter did when he mixed human and Angel blood and fed it to his people so they'd become Nephilim?"

Chloe opened her mouth and then closed it before she opened it again. "Because _those people_ knew what they were getting into. Jace and Jocelyn _didn't_."

Valentine took a step towards her.

"Chloe, that's enough." Jace's voice brought their gazes to him.

"You're not the only one he's messed with!" Chloe snapped at _him_ , eyes flashing. "He did something to _me too_! It's _his_ fault that I have the damned _Cup_ inside of me!"

"And he's going to get it out of you, safely, and make sure that you're healthy, that taking it out of you doesn't kill you!" Jace snapped right back at her.

She pulled back and looked at Valentine before she turned her gaze back on Jace. "You can't honestly think that." She gave a dark laugh. "Why the _hell_ would he care whether I lived or was 'healthy' if he got his hands on the Mortal Cup? It's not even like I'm his daughter. He has _no reason_ to care whether I live or not."

"You see, you're wrong." That was Valentine who spoke, his voice tired. "It's true, I want the Mortal Cup, but even if I had it and you died, or were _damaged_ by the removal process, I would count that as a tremendous loss."

She scoffed. "Is that so?"

"Yes." He nodded. "I mightn't have _intended_ for you, your existence might be a huge surprise for me, but know this: you are one of the most important people _in existence_ for me. You are my crowning achievement."

Her eyes widened as she stared at him, horror churning in her stomach. " _What did you do to me_?"

"I made you _invaluable_." He replied. "And that is why you can rest assured that we will get that Cup out of you, and will _only_ do so in a way in which you're not killed in the process."

Chloe shivered. This was a man who'd put Demon and Downworlder blood in his only child and couldn't see how that was wrong. If she was somehow more important than that, then just _what the hell_ had he put inside of _her_?

"See?" Jace took in a deep breath. "You can trust him."

"Trust-?" She staggered at the very thought, unable to believe that Jace really believed that.

"I understand your inability to truly trust me right now, as Jonathan does, but I assure you that the story you have heard of me has been twisted by my enemies." Valentine drew closer, standing tall. "Your father died in the Uprising and I assumed his identity the moment I realized that we had lost. His son had been named Jonathan as well, as it is a very common Shadowhunter name, and it was easy to become Michael as he had no real relations, he was the last of his family, and his closest friends, the Lightwoods, were in exile. Your father would have been in disgrace for his part in the Uprising so I lived that disgraced life, quietly, with Jonathan. I read my books and raised my son while I bided my time."

"What about my _real_ brother?" Chloe whispered. "The _real_ Jonathan Wayland? He had to be dead as well for Jace to take his place, and I _doubt_ that kid was fighting in the Uprising alongside our father."

Valentine sighed. "As I said, your father was the last of his family, and so the day of the battle Michael brought Jonathan to my manor so that my in-laws could care for him. Someone in the Clave torched my manor to the ground and I only arrived in time to take out my son. Michael's son, my in-laws, and the man who'd burnt down the place died in there and I am only a man. I could see an opportunity to save my son, and I let it seem as if my son and I had burnt along with my in-laws."

Chloe was so confused, the conflicting stories racing around in her head, chasing and attacking each other like rabid dogs.

"Ten years into my life as Michael, I received a letter, and the writer of this letter insinuated that he or she knew my true identity, that if I were not prepared to take certain steps it would be revealed to the Clave. I didn't know who the letter was from but that didn't matter, a Morgenstern is _not_ blackmailed. Besides, I wasn't the only one in danger anymore, Jonathan was as well, and I had to act for the betterment of my son." Valentine took in a deep breath. "I staged my death a second time with the help of my few loyal who still knew I was alive. I knew that if I did this Jonathan would be secured as he'd be sent to the Lightwoods and they, believing he was Michael's son, would love and protect him."

Chloe brought a hand to her head.

"Now I have my son with me, and he has brought me the girl who was only born thanks to me." Valentine cleared his throat before he turned to Jace. "Fate brought you two together, and brought you here. We are all one, and we can use the Portal to go to Idris, back to the manor house. We'll be there together, as we should've always been."

Jace stared at him in silence.

Chloe looked from Valentine to Jace and then back again. "Do you know how to take the Cup out of me?"

Valentine hesitated at the change in topic before he nodded. "I have an idea, yes."

"Can you do it now? Tonight?" Chloe wanted to know.

Jace narrowed his eyes. " _Chloe_."

She ignored him, her greens on Valentine's blacks. "Can you?"

He eyed her. "You are fearless."

She scoffed. "Is that a yes?"

He nodded.

She licked her lips. "Let's do this then. I don't want this thing inside me for one second longer."

And once it was out, and she didn't have to worry about him killing her for it, she'd ask about her mother.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Isabelle was in with Magnus, who was busy trying to save Alec's life, and there was no way they were going to bother the warlock while he was doing this, which was why Lois, Clark, Jocelyn and Luke had left on their own to go back to Luke's, not even telling the other two what were going on right now.

"You put a _tracker_ on her?" Jocelyn eyed Lois in shock.

"Of course I did. It isn't the first time she's gone missing and we've had to look for her, is it?" Lois placed her hands on her hips. "After it happened last time I talked to Magnus about what I could do to make sure that that didn't happen again."

Luke raised an eyebrow as he leaned against his counter. "And your brilliant idea was to put a collar and bell around her neck."

"Don't get offended, Cujo, especially when this is a good thing." Lois frowned at him, still unhappy about how hurt his knuckles were. "Because _the mundane_ had the brilliance to think ahead, we now have a way of finding Chlo and Jace."

"One, never call me Cujo again," Luke narrowed a look on her. "Two, explain to me again how this works."

"One, Cujo is probably the least offensive canine nickname I can find for you, unless you don't mind Scrappy Doo, so you're going to have to deal with it." Lois wasn't backing down, crush on the guy or not. "And two…" She lifted her hand to reveal her bracelet. "I use _this_."

Clark eyed the bracelet. "That matches the necklace you gave her."

"Who knew you noticed bling, Smallville?" Lois sent him a grin before she cleared her throat. "And you're right, it matches because it's a pair to hers."

"Why a bell?" Jocelyn wanted to know.

"Inside joke between Mags and me, you wouldn't get it." Lois was quick to shake her head.

Luke raised an eyebrow. "You've gotten very close to the warlock."

"Mags and me are like _this_." Lois held up two fingers pressed together. "We share makeup and everything."

Clark choked on his saliva.

Jocelyn appeared highly amused yet trying her best to hide it.

Luke merely folded his arms over his chest. "So how does the magic jewelry work?"

"Well," Lois cleared her throat. "Like this." She reached for a specific bell and gave it a series of twists before she let it go and then cried out as she grabbed her head.

" _Lois_?" Luke's eyes widened in worry as he reached for her.

"I'm fine." Her voice was strained as she kept her head bent and her hands pressed hard against her temples. "Damn, he warned me that it would hurt but I didn't think it would be _that_ bad." She wiped at a trickle of blood that trailed down her right nostril. "I'm going to need a painkiller when this is over."

"What are you _doing_?" Luke snapped at her. "Stop it! You're hurting yourself!"

"I'm _fine_." She growled at him, raising her eyes to his, before she took in a deep breath and let it go, repeating the process as she slowly lowered her hands from her head. "Okay, I'm getting used to it now."

"Getting used to _what_?" Clark pressed.

Jocelyn raised a hand to Lois' shoulder. "What are you seeing?"

Lois' hazels rose to the woman's greens. "A word. Renwick. I don't know what that means though and the other images aren't anything I can go by."

"Renwick isn't a Shadowhunter name." Jocelyn frowned. "I'm assuming that these pieces of jewelry open up a channel between you and Chloe and allow you to see things she's seen or something similar, am I correct?"

"Something along those lines." Lois nodded slowly.

"Then maybe it's not a name of a family but a place. Like a hotel." Clark cleared his throat. "Maybe she saw a sign somewhere."

Luke nodded his agreement to that.

Clark pulled out his phone and began to type on the keys rapidly.

"According to Lois Valentine used a Portal, so wherever this other place is it has to have a Portal as well." Jocelyn licked her lips. "They mightn't be in Metropolis because I don't know of any other Portal in the area."

Lois narrowed her eyes as her hands went to her temples. "I-I'm seeing snippets of Valentine. And Jace." She let out a breath of relief. "He's alive. Valentine hasn't killed Jace, at least not yet." She then whimpered. "Also got the vision of some sort of torture looking devices and a bed with straps-I think she might be in some sort of hospital or a seriously hardcore S&M playroom."

Clark looked up. "I think I know what Renwick is."

"How-?" Jocelyn turned to him.

"Google." Clark cleared his throat. "I checked the name and Metropolis, and there weren't any restaurants or anything, but what _did_ come up was Renwick Smallpox Hospital, which apparently some sort of lunatic asylum/debtor's prison. Public access to the place, which is in disrepair, is forbidden." He shook his phone. "We have directions. It's not in Metropolis though, it's in the outskirts of Edge City."

"Edge City?" Lois flinched at the thought of that crime-filled place.

Luke turned to Jocelyn, who nodded.

Clark narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Valentine always had a fondness for Edge City." Jocelyn took in a deep breath.

Lois made a face. " _Why_?" She shook her head. "You know what? Don't answer that, it doesn't matter. What do we do now?"

Luke squared his shoulders. "Now? We call my pack."

Lois' eyes widened. " _You have a_ _ **pack**_?"

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Chloe tried to fight her nervousness as she eyed what looked like a torture table. She was going to die. There was no doubt about that now.

Jace glared at the straps. " _No_." He turned to Valentine. " _ **No**_."

"They are only to make sure she's still, the process will hurt tremendously." Valentine assured the boy. "Unless you don't mind her moving and injuring-possibly killing-herself."

Jace clenched his fists.

Chloe took in a deep breath and climbed onto the table before she laid down and looked up at the ceiling.

Valentine moved to her and strapped in her legs with the leather bands before going to lock her hands in place as well. He then reached into his cloak and pulled out a seraph blade. " _Samael_." He spoke its name, activating its power.

Jace snarled as he came forwards. "Father!"

"It's the _Angel_ Cup, Jonathan." Valentine stopped him with a dark look before that look went to Chloe.

She took in a deep breath. "Do your worst."

Valentine chuckled darkly. "I'll try not to."

" _Try_?" Jace stepped forwards.

Valentine brought the blade down into the side of her stomach, the blade slipping into her body, drawing up blood. Chloe screamed as he began to slice downwards.

"Father, stop it!" Jace hurried around the table to stop him.

By the time he'd reached him Valentine had already pulled the blade out and was watching, eyes wide and smile in place, as glowing energy began to seep out of Chloe's body.

Jace pulled out his stele and went to put an iratze on her.

Valentine stopped him. "If you do that then you'll trap some of it still inside of her."

"She's bleeding out!" Jace snapped at him as he yanked out of his hold.

The energy flowed out of Chloe like her blood, visibly forming into a Cup in the air above the slice in her body.

Jace placed the first iratze on her body, his face pale, his hands trembling.

Chloe tried to concentrate on the Cup, to ignore the pain, but she couldn't.

The last thing she saw, before the pain got too much and she fainted from blood-loss, was Valentine grabbing the fully formed Mortal Cup from the air.


	20. Forsaken Yet Not Forgotten

Chloe woke up with a gasp for breath. She sat up in bed and grabbed her shirt, yanking it up to reveal a fine line down the side of her stomach. It was white, almost silvery, similar to the scars that all Shadowhunters had from years of battle. She stared at her stomach in shock, unable to believe it. The Mortal Cup was out of her, and she was still alive. The blonde let out a little gasp of relief, of disbelief, and leaned hard against the bed's backrest. She was back in the bedroom she'd awoken in the first time, and the candles had burnt down almost to nothing, which proved that quite a while had passed since she'd left with Valentine and Jace to remove the Mortal Cup.

"You stupid, _stupid_ girl." A voice hissed from the shadows.

Chloe gasped as she yanked down her shirt and turned towards the voice, surprised to find Jace sitting on the floor, knees to his chest, his golden eyes glaring at her in the flickering candlelight. "Excuse me?"

"If my father and I hadn't spent _hours_ placing iratzes on you, you would've _died_." Jace's voice was cold, ugly. "You _stupid_ girl!"

"Hey! You don't have the right to talk to me like that!" She snapped, flinging the sheets off of her and getting up out of bed, only to have her legs give out on her. The girl fell to her knees hard on the ground.

In seconds he was on his feet and kneeling in front of her. "You're weak. The Mortal Cup was tied to your life-force, it nearly killed you to have it removed."

"I'm _fine_."

He lifted her in his arms as if she was weightless before laying her back down on the bed and slipping the covers up to her chest. "You need to rest. We're going to Idris tomorrow and I'd like it very much if you were able to touch the soil of your homeland with your own feet and not have to be carried through the Portal straight to a sickbed."

"Sickbed? Don't you think you're being a mite exaggerative?" She then made a face. "And who said I'm going to Idris? Because I'm _not_." She stared up into Jace's shadowed face. " _This_ is my 'homeland'."

"No it isn't. You're a Shadowhunter, you're a Wayland, _Idris_ is your home." Jace sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at her. "We'll live there, the four of us."

"Four?" Chloe stared up at him in confusion.

"Your mother, I've seen her. She was here looking after you before she left to make sure things are ready for us when we go to Idris." Jace stared down at her.

Chloe's eyes widened. "My mother's _here_? She's _alive_?"

"Chloe, she's been by my father's side all these years, faithful to him, as she always was." Jace reached out to cup Chloe's face. "My father isn't the monster you were led to believe."

She didn't understand anything. "Then why didn't she tell him about the Mortal Cup? Why did she block me so he couldn't see it? Why-?"

"She took something and her memories are blank when it comes to the Mortal Cup. She did it so that _no one_ could find the Cup. She didn't do it to hide the Cup from my father specifically like we always thought." Jace's eyes were sincere. "Chloe, she joined Jocelyn and Luke in the Uprising _on his orders_."

" _What_?" Chloe was confused.

"He knew that my mother was plotting against him so he sent yours in as a spy." Jace whispered. "Your mother informed him of the planning of the Uprising and wanted him to stop it before it happened but he was so sure that they would win, he said he let his ego prevail and it was why he lost. He'd told Moira to take the Cup and make sure that whatever happened, _she_ would end up with it, so that when he found her again she would be able to give it to him. And if you think about everything she did, she did exactly that."

"Except she _didn't_. She hid me from him when he came back for her." Chloe shook her head, refusing to believe what Jace was telling her. "Why would she have done that if she was faithful to him?"

"She didn't remember you had the Mortal Cup inside of you, Chloe, she thought the reason she kept bringing you to see Magnus was only because she was trying to keep you blind to the Shadow World so you could live a normal life. And the only reason she didn't take you with her was because she didn't want you to live a life on the run with them. She knew that my father would've insisted that she bring you and not leave you with a mundane, and that was why she hid who you were from him at that time. She wanted you safe, wanted to be able to concentrate on making a home, a world that was safe for you to come to. That's why she left you there, but it was always her plan to bring you back when she didn't have to hide for her life from the Clave. My father understands that now. It's exactly what he did to keep _me_ safe." Jace's voice was pleading for her to understand, to believe. "Our parents did what they thought was best for us, no matter how hard it was for them, because they loved us." He hesitated before he placed his hand on her scarred stomach. "We'll never be able to understand what they've gone through or what they were willing to do until we have children of our own."

Chloe stared up at him, so confused. She got why Jace believed all of this so easily because a huge part of her wanted to as well, especially if it meant that she got to be with her mother again.

"I know this is hard for you Chloe, believe me, it's hard for me too." Jace's voice was so soft. "But you have to remember that we got all of our information from their _enemies_. Of _course_ they'd make us see things that way." He leaned closer to her and rested his forehead against hers. "But we know the truth now, and we can't let them keep us apart from our families any longer. We have a chance to be with our parents, who love us."

He knew exactly what to say, Chloe wavering as she lifted her hands to clutch his shirt. "I don't-I don't know what to think anymore."

"Think about the future, our future." He moved to press his lips against her forehead. "We can be together, with them."

Chloe could feel his heart beating so steadily beneath her hand, it lulled her, seduced her to the idea, and yet… "What about everyone else? Alec and Isabelle? Lois and Clark?"

He pulled away enough to look her in the eyes. "If they truly loved us, they'd want us happy, wouldn't they? I think they'd come to understand after a while, even though it would be hard for them at first. But they _have_ their parents. Can they really fault us for wanting to be with _ours_?"

Chloe gulped as she stared up into his face. "You should become a senator. Your way with words is truly amazing."

He gave a soft chuckle and shook his head. "Only with you."

Chloe cupped his face and smiled softly when he leaned into the touch. "Lois said I'm in love with you."

He froze, his eyes flying open from where they'd closed to better enjoy the touch. "Did she, now?"

She flushed. "I said _Lois_ said. I never said I agreed with her."

His lips curled in an amused and pleased smile. "I see."

"You don't see anything." She grumbled and would've pulled her hand away from his face but Jace countered the move by placing his hand against hers and pinning it against his flesh. "Can I have my hand back?"

"No. It's mine now." He leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "You can't have _them_ back either." His free hand cupped the back of her head, long and lean fingers delving into her hair as he angled her head and pressed a series of lazy kisses down the side of her neck. "Or this… I quite like this, I'm claiming it as mine."

Laughter bubbled up in her throat but it emerged from her lips as a whimper when Jace began to nibble.

He pressed his teeth against the pulse in her neck, his tongue teasing her skin before he pulled away with a groan. "I'm supposed to be letting you rest."

She bit back a whimper of disappointment.

"But I'm very bad when it comes to rules, or maybe I'm just bad when it comes to _you_." And with that Jace surged forwards and kissed her, his hands in her hair and holding her captive as he took the kiss deeper.

Chloe gripped his shirt tightly and pulled him to her as she leaned back against the pillow, chuckling into the kiss when Jace hissed in frustration when the hands at her shirt failed over and over with her top button.

Suddenly a howl echoed throughout the night.

The two drew apart and shared looks before Jace pulled away, hurried to the window, and drew the curtain across to gaze down at the front yard. "We need to leave for Idris. _Now_."

"What? Why?" Chloe looked up, eyes narrowed in concern, still not sure whether she actually was agreeing to go.

He turned to face her, his expression dark like the shadows around him. "We're being attacked."

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_Jace. Jace at a window looking down. Jace visibly disturbed. Jace coming towards her and pulling Chloe out of the bed, holding the girl in his arms._

The images were hurting her more and more to receive, but as Lois ducked and hid, Clark helping keeping her standing as the werewolves fought some seriously grisly looking things that Luke called "Forsaken", she knew enough to know now that both Jace and Chloe were alive and that they were somewhere in one of the upper floors.

Jocelyn and Luke (the latter who was still in human form) fought the Forsaken around them, keeping them from Lois and Clark as the two stumbled inside of the place that looked like a rundown and abandoned piece of shit to them. They'd been informed that what they could see was only a glamour, and that the place was actually very much a grandiose, gothic castle in its true form.

 _Jace and Chloe arguing. Jace kicking open the bedroom door and rushing out of the room with Chloe still in his arms_.

Why wasn't the room guarded or even locked? And why was Chloe being carried around by Jace? Had she been hurt? If she had, Lois hadn't seen it happening, and the thought terrified her.

"Upstairs. They're upstairs." She pressed a hand to her forehead and wiped at the blood that trickled down her nostril. "He's carrying her. I think she's hurt."

Jocelyn nodded to Luke.

Gretel and Alaric, Luke's second and third in command, entered behind them just in time for more of the Forsaken to attack.

"Up the stairs!" Luke ordered Clark, who took Lois with him.

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"You have _Forsaken_." Chloe sat on the seat Jace had lowered her onto, her eyes narrowed in condemnation at Valentine. "I know what they are. They are created when you put runes on mundanes. Mundanes can't handle runes, it's _agonizing_ to them and it drives them insane!" She turned to Jace. " _You know that_!"

"With the Mortal Cup now in my possession I plan on turning them all into Shadowhunters, which will end their suffering and elevate them in status from mundanes." Valentine replied. "I didn't plan on _werewolves_ attacking us."

" _Why_ are werewolves attacking us?" Jace wanted to know as he stood at the window and stared down at the fighting going on with terrible calm. "How do these Downworlders know you are here?"

"I wonder the same." Valentine narrowed his eyes as he stood. "We must go now. Through the Portal."

Jace nodded. "It's why we came here."

The bell on Chloe's necklace trembled, and the girl grabbed it surprise, clasping her fingers around it.

_Lois holding onto Clark tightly as he ducked the swinging axe of a Forsaken. Lois crying out for Luke as he swung away from an attack. Lois looking up in gratitude as Jocelyn kicked the Forsaken from Luke and slammed her seraph blade down into the creature's chest._

Jace came towards her. "Come. We're going."

" _No_!" Chloe batted his hands away, visibly shocking him as she did so. "I'm not going!"

Valentine let out a deep breath. "Don't be ridiculous. We are under attack. We need to-."

"Go, if you want!" She glared at him before she forced herself to her feet and would've fallen if Jace hadn't caught her and yanked her up into his arms. "Jace. Put me down! It's our friends! They're the ones coming to rescue us! This isn't an attack-it's a rescue mission!"

"What are you talking about?" Jace narrowed his eyes at her.

"I don't know how-but I _just saw Lois_. And Clark! Luke and Jocelyn too!" She stared up pleadingly at him. "They're coming! They're here for us!"

" _Jocelyn_?" Valentine whispered.

Jace narrowed his eyes at her. "The Mortal Cup is out of you. Why are you still seeing things?"

"I don't know but I know it's real. Jace, you have to believe me. It's our friends!" Chloe pleaded.

"Jace, come. We don't have much time." Valentine cleared his throat. "She's obviously suffering from delirium; it shouldn't be surprising that there would be some side-effects to having removed the Cup."

Jace took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Chloe, but I can't take the risk that you're wrong."

She stared up at him in shock. "Jace-."

"You're weak, damn it! You can't even run away if those werewolves try to kill you!" He snapped down at her. "It's my job to protect you and by the Angel, I'm going to protect you even if it's from yourself!" He turned to Valentine. "Where's the Portal?"

Suddenly the door was kicked open and Luke appeared. He was covered in blood, his jeans and shirt dark and clotted, the lower half of his face also tinted dark red. His hands were red to the wrists, the blood that coated them still wet and running.

" _Luke_!" Chloe cried out, terrified that that blood was his.

He seemed to realize her thoughts because he gave her a reassuring look. "Don't worry, it's not mine."

"Then whose is it?" Valentine spoke as he came forwards.

"Pangborn's." It was Jocelyn who spoke as she entered, Lois and Clark entering the room behind her, the woman covered in blood as well. "Mine's _Blackwell_ 's."

" _Jocelyn_." Valentine whispered as he stared at her.

"Valentine." She raised her chin.

"Chloe!" Lois yelled as she twisted a bell on her bracelet and let out an expression of utter relief.

"Lois!" Chloe grinned brightly. "Clark!"

Clark's eyes were narrowed on Valentine as he closed the door behind them against the fighting going on throughout the building.

"Have you come to join us, Jocelyn?" Valentine asked her calmly. "It's not too late."

"To _join_ you?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Come with us," he offered, arm outstretched towards her. "Come to Idris. Moira is wating for us there."

Jocelyn sent Chloe a shocked, questioning look.

"I don't know," she whispered her answer. "I haven't seen her personally."

"I have." Jace's voice was hard, his grip on her unyielding. "And she's waiting for Chloe on the other side."

"Chloe?" Lois asked softly.

"What did you do to Moira?" Luke snarled. "To these kids?"

"I don't answer to _dogs_." Valentine glared at Luke.

Chloe snarled at Valentine for insulting the man who'd raised her just as much as Gabe had. "Don't talk to him like that! At least _he's_ not a monster!"

"Chloe, that's enough." Jace hissed to her. "I already explained to you that it's not like that."

Valentine's eyes flashed angrily on the girl before they narrowed further on Luke, hatefully. "I see you're still in the business of turning the women around me against me."

"You do that on your own." Jocelyn answered instead. "Stop trying to blame Luke for the consequences of your own actions!"

"Consequences of your own actions." Jace laughed darkly. "What would _you_ know about that?"

Jocelyn turned her greens on him, surprised at the attack.

Valentine's lips twitched as he took in a deep breath. "You have to understand her, Jonathan, she was lonesome and thought I didn't love her anymore, and he took advantage of her."

"Didn't seem like she put up much of a fight," Jace growled.

Jocelyn was horribly pale as she stared at Jace as if seeing a ghost. " _Jonathan_?"

Even Luke looked like he'd been punched, hard.

"What am I not getting?" Clark whispered to Lois.

"I'm not sure," she whispered back.

"Don't call me that." Jace snapped at Jocelyn. "You don't get to call me that!"

Jocelyn brought a shaky hand to her mouth, tears filling her eyes. " _I thought you were dead_."

Jace sneered. "I'm sure that was the happiest day of your life. I've heard what you said about your son, how you felt about him... _me_."

Jocelyn closed her eyes against that realization, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Valentine eyed Jace curiously at that.

Chloe could suddenly _completely_ understand Jace's intnense desire to leave with his father and never come back. It wasn't like he had anything on this side of the Portal. Only a mother who'd called him a monster and calmly told them how she couldn't bring herself to love him no matter how hard she'd tried.

"Look, I'm sorry for all this, Jace," Lois surprised them by speaking, pushing away from Clark now to stand tall on her own. "But I'm not letting you take my cousin away. She's the only family I have that I can count on, she's _basically_ the only family I have left, and I'm not going to let her go. He can have the Cup, I don't care about it, but he can't have _her._ "

Chloe felt a huge lump of emotion lodge in her throat.

Valentine raised an eyebrow. "And you would be?"

The brunette gulped as she raised her chin, bringing her hazels to meet his blacks. "Lois Lane. Mundane. And damned proud of it."

His lips twitched. "You shouldn't be."

She glared at him.

Chloe opened her mouth to tell him off.

"Come with us, Miss Lane." Valentine turned the hand he'd held out to Jocelyn to _her_ instead. "Come to Idris. You don't have to be parted from your family. There is no reason for that."

Lois was visibly flabberghasted.

So was Chloe. "What-? Why would you-?"

"Take my hand, join us, and you will live as a Shadowhunter, you will be elevated and stand by our side. You won't be separated from your cousin." Valentine spoke solely to Lois. "I understand the pain of being apart from your family, of being alone, and I would not give that to you."

Lois stared at him almost as if in a trance.

Luke snarled and moved in front of Lois, hiding her from Valentine's view. "She's not going with you and neither is Chloe."

"Why don't you let _her_ decide that, Graymark?" Valentine kept his voice even.

Lois' gaze went to Chloe from around Luke. "Can he take the Cup out without killing you?"

Chloe took in a deep breath as she lifted her shirt to show the silver scar on her stomach. "He already did."

Silence hit the room.

Suddenly Jocelyn raised her seraph blade up at Valentine. "Where is the Mortal Cup, Valentine?"

"Safe, in Idris, with Moira." He smirked at her. "Why don't you come with us and find it?"

" _That's why you're so weak_ ," Clark whispered to himself, his eyes still on the scar.

Jace lowered Chloe's shirt rapidly.

Lois turned to look at Valentine. "You have the Cup! You don't need her anymore!"

"She's mine." Valentine replied. "She belongs with me, _to_ _me_."

Jace's golden gaze rose sharply and narrowed on his father.

"She's not a _thing_ , you can't _own_ her!" Lois glared at him.

"I can when I created her." Valentine replied calmly. "And I did. Everything she is is because of _me._ "

"That isn't how the world works." Luke's eyes went wolf-gold. "I'm only going to say this once: you're taking us to Idris, and we're going to get the Cup. You're outnumbered. There's nothing you can do."

"Is that so?" Valentine didn't seem too worried.

Suddenly the sound of Forsaken throwing themselves against the door could be heard.

Clark's eyes widened and he pressed himself against the door, Jocelyn joining him as they did their best to help the door hold under the onslaught.

Valentine smirked before he turned to Jace. "Come. We're going now."

Luke moved to go forwards when the sound of wood breaking could be heard, and he snarled as he turned to help the others with the door.

That left Lois the only one standing as she watched Valentine move away.

Jace tightened his hold on Chloe and moved to follow.

"I'm not leaving her!" Chloe struggled against Jace's hold. "Let me go! Stop it!"

"Don't do this, Jace!" Jocelyn surprised everyone by addressing the boy. "Don't listen to him! Don't force that girl to go!"

"I'm a monster, haven't you always said that?" Jace stood still, his back to the woman who was his mother. "In all the ancient legends the monster kidnaps the beautiful virgin, so I suppose I'm just being true to my nature."

" _Don't_." Jocelyn begged. "Don't let your father or I tell you who or what you are. You can decide that for _yourself_."

He chuckled darkly and turned to face her. "What a convenient change of heart you've just had, _mother_."

Jocelyn gulped visibly.

"Jace, you're not a monster. _He is._ **You** wouldn't force me to do this! He's just twisting everything to suit him and his needs!" Chloe could see the hardness in Jace's eyes though and was terrified as she realized she wasn't getting through to him.

Lois stepped forwards. "You know what? Screw Jocelyn! Screw Valentine! But what about Chloe? You've just heard her! You think she's going to forgive you if you kidnap her? No. She's not. You can't _force_ her to go if she doesn't want to go. I'm not like your mother or father, I don't see that whatever is in you makes you better or worse than anyone else." She took in a deep breath when his golden orbs went to her. "But I _do_ know that even when I thought you two were brother and sister I was being supportive of your feelings because I could tell you genuinely loved her and she needed that, needed someone to think of _her_ before themselves."

Jace gulped in silence as he stared at Lois.

"You and I aren't friends, we tolerate each other, and to be honest we probably resent the other somewhat, but you know what? She loves us _both_ and that means you and I need to be allies. We need to protect _her_. Together." Lois took a step towards him, careful, as if approaching a rabid dog clutching a kitten in its jaws and any move from her might end the kitten's life. "I'm accepting you, Jace. And I'm asking you to accept me too." She held her hand out towards him. "Take my hand. You know you want to. You know she won't forgive you if you don't."

Jace just stared at Lois, obviously going over everything she'd said.

" _Please_." Chloe's voice was pleading.

Jace took in a deep breath before he lowered Chloe to her feet, keeping the weak girl standing by securing an arm around her waist. He stared deep into Lois' hazels and then let out the breath he'd been holding as he lifted his hand and placed it in hers.

Lois grinned brightly and shook that hand. "We're allies now. You and me."

Jace nodded. "We are."

Chloe's lips curved in a hopeful smile as she gripped onto Jace, her legs still weak.

Valentine narrowed his eyes on them.

Suddenly the door broke, and Forsaken flooded into the room, Luke and Jocelyn attacking them while Clark grabbed a shield from off of the wall and used it to both defend himself from their attacks and slam it into them at the same time whenever they got too close. He must be hitting them seriously hard because each blow from the shield sent them sliding a couple of steps away from him.

Forsaken lunged at Lois from behind, the brunette unable to see it.

"Lois!" Chloe screamed.

Jace's eyes narrowed and he used the hand he was holding the brunette with to yank Lois behind him protectively.

Valentine grabbed the stumbling brunette by the back of her shirt and yanked her towards him as he held a hand up to the Forsaken, sending it back towards the others. He eyed something on Lois and then nodded. "Just as I thought."

Chloe narrowed her eyes on Valentine. "Don't touch her!"

Valentine merely pressed a pressure point in Lois' head and caught the girl when she fainted, flinging her over his shoulder as he moved towards a standing mirror and... _walked through it_.

The Portal.

That was the Portal!

Chloe's eyes widened in horror. " _No_."


	21. What A Mother Does

Lois Lane cried out as she awoke, finding herself in some dark room, candles burning all around her. She was confused, disoriented, and scared. The last thing she could remember was Valentine grabbing her with his slimy hands and then everything had gone dark. What had happened after that? Why had she suddenly blacked out right before she was going to elbow him hard in his ribs to force him to let her go?

"You're awake."

Lois' eyes widened as she turned to see Jace in a seat in the darkness, eyeing her. "What is going _on_? And what are you doing here watching me sleep?" She drew the sheets up to her body. "That's creepy as hell."

He smirked darkly at her and motioned to the other side of the bed. "I wasn't watching _you_ sleep."

Lois' gaze turned to her side, and she let out a breath of relief to find Chloe asleep next to her. "What's going on, Jace?"

"We're trapped on this side of the Portal, in Idris." Jace replied evenly. "Chloe _ordered_ me to go through the Portal after you, and once we were on the other side my father destroyed it so no one else could follow us through."

She felt a cold chill race down her back. "We're trapped?"

He nodded. "My father is quite pleased with himself."

Lois narrowed her eyes at that wording. "Then why don't _you_ seem all that happy? I thought this was part of your master plan as well?"

"He's my father, I want to trust him, I _should_ trust him." Jace lowered his gaze, features visibly disturbed.

"But you don't, do you?" Lois realized, voice soft.

His golds rose to her. "He said she _belonged_ to him, that he _owned_ her." A muscle jumped in Jace's cheek. "That she was _his_."

Lois narrowed her eyes. "Is it distrust you feel towards him, or _jealousy_?"

"A bit of both, I suppose." Jace licked his lips. "Either way, it works in your favor, doesn't it?"

She nodded slowly. "True." Silence descended between them before she took in a deep breath. "Do we know if the others made it out alive?"

He shook his head. "No idea."

She closed her eyes tightly. "I hope they did."

Jace's gaze went to the window, where the dawn's light was beginning to shine out. "I hope that the mundane did, at least. The other two I really don't care that much about."

"You should. One is your mother and the other is like a father to Chloe." Lois narrowed her eyes at him. "She's going to be worried as hell about him! And so am I!"

Jace looked chastised but didn't say anything.

Lois sighed. "If Valentine hadn't kidnapped me, and Chloe told you to come after me-would you still have come through the Portal?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, I was hesitating, I'm not sure what I would've decided to do." He took in a deep breath. "He's my father. I-I want a place where I feel that I belong."

"But you obviously don't trust him, no matter what you might be preaching to _her_." Lois narrowed her hazels on Jace. "Is her mother even really here or was that something you told her to make her want to come?"

Jace looked shocked that she would even suggest that. "Of _course_ her mother is here! I wouldn't have lied to her about that!"

"I know Aunt Moira's the only reason why Chloe was hesitant about this instead of refusing to come resolutely." She took in a deep breath. "Damn it, it is _always_ that woman's fault!" She ran her fingers through her hair. "Now I'm kidnapped here and being held hostage, and you two are going to be signed up for Brainwashing 101."

"I doubt you're going to be kept 'hostage', you're useful to him." Jace raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, really?" Lois sneered. "And other than as a hostage how else could I be useful to him? I'm just a 'no-account mundane' and-."

He leaned forwards in his seat. "You don't know."

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't know _what_ exactly?"

He motioned to the mirror. "Go to that and pull your hair away from the back of your neck. Use the smaller mirror to look at the back."

Lois raised an eyebrow before she slipped out of the bed and did as told, grabbing the hand-held mirror and pulling her long hair out of the way, angling the mirror to get a better look with the full-length mirror behind her. At first she didn't see anything, and then she realized it was because it wasn't there anymore, only a faded, light imprint. "Is that-?"

"A rune." Jace nodded as he leaned back in his seat again.

Lois ran her fingers over the skin. "But that's impossible. Chloe said that mundanes can't bear having the mark on them, that something happens to them."

"They become Forsaken."

Lois nearly dropped the mirror in horror. "Those things we fought were once humans?!"

He nodded in silence.

She gulped, suddenly terrified.

"That's a special binding and hiding rune, I'm assuming Hodge placed it on you. Concealment was one of his specialties." Jace took in a deep breath.

Lois put the mirror down. "Why am I not a Forsaken?"

"I thought that would be obvious." Jace gave her a twisted smile. "Chloe's not the only one who was being passed off as mundane when she was actually carrying Shadowhunter blood in her."

Lois felt her world shake. "But I can't see the Shadow World like she can."

"That's because you were born with a blind Inner Eye." Jace seemed to have all of the answers tonight. "You were born how Moira wished _Chloe_ had been. Many Shadowhunter children are unable to see the Shadow World and need to be taught to do so. You just were never taught."

"I need to sit down." Lois stumbled to the bed and got back in, pulling the sheets up to her chin. "How do I have Shadowhunter blood in me?"

"According to Moira, you are her niece." Jace was laying all sorts of truths on her tonight. "She says that your father is her half brother from their father's side."

Lois' eyes widened. "They're both Lanes... Oh my god, I _was_ right! They're related!" She brought a hand to her face. "That's also why my father was given Aunt Moira's books and things after she left Uncle Gabe! I-I always wondered _why_ -." She gulped and then blinked. "Wait. So she is paternal half siblings with _my_ father-who is the maternal half sibling of the man she ended up marrying." She shook her head. "That seems even more weirdly incestuous than it did before!"

Jace merely eyed her.

Lois took in a deep breath. "So, I'm a Shadowhunter."

"Half." Jace corrected.

She ignored him. "Damn. No _wonder_ I accept the weird shit Chloe gets me into so easily!"

"And no wonder you are _so_ _very much_ like Isabelle." Jace spoke his adopted sister's name with fondness and nostalgia before he sighed and looked away. "I hope that Alec is well."

"When we left Magnus was healing him. He'll be fine." Lois did her best to assure him.

Jace nodded and kept his gaze on the shadows.

Chloe whimpered in her sleep and pressed her hand to her stomach, as if she was in pain.

Jace turned his gaze to her immediately, his golds betraying his worry.

Lois eyed him thoughtfully. "When did you last sleep? You look exhausted."

"She nearly died when he took it out." Jace's golds went to her hazels. "I'm not going to sleep well until she's strong again."

Lois smiled softly at him. "I'm _seriously_ glad you two aren't related." She then paused. "Or, is he her father too?"

Jace shook his head. "Michael was her father. She's the last Wayland."

"Oh, good." Lois grinned in relief before she blinked. "So you're telling me she's, like, an endangered species or something?"

He stared at her oddly. "You are a very weird person."

She grinned brightly. "I know."

He shook his head and turned his golds back on her. "But I suppose I can see your point. Until she has children there will be no other Waylands other than her. Not that they'd have the surname Wayland, but at least they'd have the blood."

Lois thought over something before asking: "How are we going to get back?"

Jace was silent.

"We can't stay here." She frowned at him.

"Why not?" He wanted to know.

"Well, your father thinks she's _his_ , and your mother _did_ think Chloe's purpose was _breeding_." Lois knew she was playing dirty but didn't care. "Doesn't that make you uneasy?"

A muscle ticked his his cheek. "Like I would let anyone else touch her, even if it was him."

"Can you take him in a fight? One on one? What if he brings in his minions to help? Could you _really_ stop him if there was something he wanted?" She could see the questions and doubts in those golden eyes. "Face it Jace. There are too many uncertainties, and he might be your father, but he's already proven capable of anything to get what he wants."

Jace's eyes were narrowed but he didn't say anything, didn't contradict her, didn't defend his father.

And that was a huge step in the direction she needed him to go in. "I'm not saying we should do anything tomorrow, that would be stupid. But I think you need to keep the blinders off your eyes when it comes to him, just like Chloe does when it comes to Aunt Moira. _I_ think that we need to play it cool and leave the second we can, because we're going to regret it otherwise."

Jace didn't say anything, but she could see that he was mulling over what she'd said, and that was all she could ask for.

Neither noticed that the blonde on the bed was actually awake and listening to everything they'd been saying.

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Lois was able to make progress with Jace when Chloe hadn't, and a part of the blonde resented that terribly, while the other was grateful. But it still stung a little, that when she'd begged Jace he hadn't capitulated, he'd been so firm, and yet with Lois he'd stopped and considered. What exactly did that say about their relationship-or whatever they had? Did he not respect her or her opinions? Her desires? Did he not see her as an equal?

The thought plagued her throughout the early morning and when she couldn't take it anymore, long after Lois had gone back to sleep, and even the sound of Jace's sleeping breaths filled the room, Chloe got up from bed and slipped out of the room. She felt weird about leaving them in the room alone but her feet could carry her weight now and she wanted to get away from her own stupid jealousy.

She hugged herself and looked around the manor, at the morning light chasing away the shadows and allowing her to view the inside of the manor. She made her way down the stairs and found a way out of the manor into the amazing garden that existed there. She moved amongst the flowers, wondering who exactly tended to them. Was it her mother?

The girl bent down and breathed in the scent of a flower, closing her eyes and letting out a small smile.

"I wondered whether you were going to try and run away," a voice declared.

Chloe straightened and turned towards the voice, bringing her hand up to shield her from the intense glare.

The guy was backlit by the sun, leaving him in shadow, and the sun's glare keeping her from being able to look at him, completely hiding him from her.

"Who are you?" She asked, feeling something odd tingle through her body.

"A curious passerby." He remained where he could be hidden from her.

"What are you curious about?" She wanted to know.

"You."

She gulped, not sure what to think about that, and yet able to understand given the fact that Valentine's minions must've known she was coming and that Valentine considered her his 'crowning achievement'. "I'm not all that interesting."

"Is that so?" He sounded intrigued.

"Yeah." She nodded, feeling a little bitter still from the night she'd had. "That's so."

He continued to eye her for a moment before he turned and began to walk away. "Do me a favor and don't tell anyone you met me. The people in this manor don't like it when others trespass onto their property."

"I _haven't_ 'met' you. We don't even know each other's names." She called after him.

He paused and chuckled as he sent her a look over his shoulder before continuing to walk away, giving her a short wave as he shucked his hands into his pockets and disappeared around a corner, still completely covered by the sunlight.

_The people in this house? So he_ _**wasn't** _ _one of Valentine's minions?_

Chloe licked her lips, wondering if she'd missed a golden opportunity to get help.

She hugged herself and continued looking in the direction he'd disappeared in until the glare got too much for her and she turned, about to go into the manor house, when she noticed a woman coming out into the garden. Her body froze and her breath caught in her throat. She hadn't seen the woman since she was eight years old and yet there was no denying who she was, no confusion. " _Mother_?"

Moira smiled tenderly before she rushed to Chloe and embraced her tightly. " _My darling_." She pressed a kiss to the top of Chloe's head. "I started to fear that I would never see you again."

Chloe shook as she held on tightly to Moira, having feared the same exact thing. " _Momma_."

Moira trembled as she held Chloe closer. "I'm so sorry for leaving you all these years. Can you ever forgive me?"

Chloe nodded wordlessly as she clung to her mother as if to life. "I've missed you momma, I've needed you."

"I know. And I hate that." Moira sounded so ashamed. "But I need you to listen to me, Chloe. You can't stay here. You, Jonathan and Lois have to go back."

Chloe pulled away and looked up into her mother's face, shaking her head. " _No_. I want to stay here with _you_."

"Chloe, I don't have much time until it heals and I'm _her_ again." Moira's voice was urgent, as were her eyes. "I've done all I can to keep you safe from Valentine, I've sacrificed our life together, but you need to understand that I did it all happily because it meant that he wouldn't be able to use you." Those blues bared into Chloe's greens. "He's in the dungeons right now, he won't expect you three to try and escape. He doesn't know that I had a backup plan in case he got you." She tightened her grip on Chloe. "You need to get Jonathan and Lois, and leave."

"You're coming with us." Chloe whispered, urgently. "I'm not leaving you here! He'll know you helped us!"

Moira shook her head as she pulled away and pulled up her shirt, showing a rune that had been hidden, a rune that was marred by a slice of a knife. "It's already healing up on its own. Once it does, I won't be thinking of what's best for _you_ any longer."

Chloe stared in horror at the Loyal To rune. "He marked you." Tears streamed down her face. " _That monster_."

"I was only able to temporarily destroy my mark out of my pure desperation knowing you were here, because _I_ needed to be the one to talk to you, _not_ his faithful lapdog." Moira's eyes were determined. "And once it heals back up I won't have any memory of this, or of the fact that I love you more than I could ever be loyal to him. He'll never suspect me because by then the rune will be healed. I won't even understand what happened to you. My confusion will be genuine. But you _need_ to do it _now_."

" _But I only just got you back_." Chloe shook her head, voice shaking.

Moira gave a cry as she pulled the girl tightly against her and pressed a kiss to her head. "One day he'll be dead and I'll be free. And when that happens I'll come for you. Just be strong till then."

She didn't want to be, she wanted to be weak, wanted to stay here in her mother's arms.

" _Go_." Moira's voice broke with her emotion. "You have to go and then have someone else say these words, they'll trigger the spell and take you to safety. You have to say-."

" _I hate him._ " Chloe sobbed. " _I hate him!_ "

"Don't darken your heart with that emotion, nothing good ever comes from it." Moira whispered before a twig snapped behind them and they turned to see Jace and Lois there, both teenagers looking conflicted. Moira raised her chin as she addressed them. "You need to escape, now, while he's savoring his victory and his guard is down."

Lois looked between them.

Jace appeared confused. "But you said-." He was silenced and went pale when she lifted her shirt to reveal the healing Loyal To rune.

Lois gasped in horror.

"You need to get them both out of here, and keep Chloe away from Valentine-out of his clutches." Moira spoke to Jace. "I know what he's told you, but I also know what he _hasn't_ told you."

"What do you mean by that?" Jace's voice was emotionless.

Moira's blues narrowed on his golds. "She isn't meant to be only _yours_."

Jace's face crumbled, almost as if he'd suspected that answer and yet had been hoping against hope. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before he opened those golds and rested them on Moira. "How do we get out of here? The Portal is destroyed."

"I'm not leaving you." Chloe turned to her mother desperately.

"Hold onto her tightly." Moira instructed Jace and Lois. "I had Magnus place a very risky but necessary spell on her in case this happened, in case Valentine got her, and you will need to be in direct contact with her to be affected as well." She took in a deep breath. "I'd give you the Cup but if you did he would never rest until the both of them were back in his clutches-at least with the Cup here he'll be distracted, even if only for a little while."

"Come with us." Chloe begged as Jace and Lois grabbed hold of her hands. She didn't give a crap about the Cup. She never had. "We'll figure a way to free you from that rune. _Please_."

Moira didn't answer, tears in her eyes as she pressed a kiss to Chloe's forehead. "I love you, baby. Never forget how much your mother loves you." And with that she pulled away and whispered the words that triggered the spell.

The last thing Chloe saw before the everything blurred and the trio appeared in the sick room of the Institute next to Magnus Bane, was the sight of her mother breaking down and falling to her knees, crying into her hands.

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"He's still sitting outside against the door of her room. She won't come out and won't open it to anyone either." Jocelyn whispered as she leaned hard against the wall, hugging herself. "She won't eat, won't sleep, she just _cries_."

"It's understandable, Jocelyn." Luke cleared his throat. "She went through something that was emotionally traumatizing. She had to leave her mother behind."

Jocelyn closed her eyes against the reminder.

"I still can't believe that Aunt Moira-." Lois hugged herself as she sat in on the meeting given the fact that Chloe wouldn't even open the door to her. "I thought such _horrible_ things about her for _so long_."

"There was no way you could've known what was really going on." Surprisingly enough it was Isabelle who said this, finally away from her brother's side now that he was out of danger. "She protected Chloe despite what it cost her. That's what a mother does."

Jocelyn flinched as if hit as she looked away.

"What do we do _now_ though?" Clark, an almost permanent fixture at the Institute now, wanted to know. "Valentine has the Mortal Cup _and_ Chloe's mom."

"We can't do anything about either for now," Luke sighed, looking very tired. "We just have to prepare for whatever his next move is." His gaze lowered onto Lois. "He wanted you, Chloe and Jonathan with him, and Moira was right. The Cup will only be a distraction for so long. He's going to come back for you."

"I was just a hostage." Lois raised an eyebrow. "He had no _real_ reason for wanting me other than to keep Chloe there with him. It's _those two_ we have to worry about."

"You might be right, but you're a Lanaera, that family is very old and prized themselves on _purity_ , just like Valentine does." Luke sneered at the very word. "Plus, I find it interesting that Moira never admitted that she was related to your father. Not even to me. Why exactly did she hide that fact? Especially considering that they didn't get along."

Lois shrugged. "Maybe I should ask the General."

"Maybe." Luke didn't look too sure though.

"Right now that isn't our main concern though." Jocelyn took in a deep breath. "The _Clave_ is."

Clark frowned. "What do you mean? Aren't they the good guys?"

"They've been kept in the dark and been made fools of, _again_." Jocelyn answered. "I doubt they're going to take that lying down."

"What does that have to do with Jace, Lois and Chloe?" Isabelle wanted to know.

Luke gave her a dark smile. "You don't think they're going to believe, like we do, that they weren't sent back by Valentine as spies."

"We weren't!" Lois gasped in horror. "We escaped! And Aunt Moira might've paid dearly for helping us if Valentine found out she did!"

" _We_ believe you." Luke reminded as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "But we aren't the _Clave_."

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The first thing Alec saw as he opened his eyes was Church staring down into his face, the Blue Persian cat sitting happily on his chest and purring loudly.

The _second_ thing he saw was Magnus Bane, the warlock rubbing the cat's head.

"So, Sleeping Beauty wakes." Magnus raised an eyebrow, visibly pleased. "I was getting tempted to kiss you and see if that really works."

Alec flushed as he glared up at the warlock for always managing to catch him off-guard like this. "What happened? Where are everyone?"

"You got a little too close and friendly with a Greater Demon, and so I had to save your cute butt and nurse you back to health just so I could scold you for cheating on me before we've even had a chance to go out on our first date. And with a _demon_ nonetheless." Magnus replied flirtatiously before he went serious. "A lot has happened while you've been out."

Alec gulped. "Like what?"

"You sure you don't want to wait and hear it from someone else?" Magnus asked.

Alec narrowed his eyes at him. "No. I want _you_ to tell me." He held up his hand to stop the warlock though, when he opened his mouth. "And, uh, _thank you_."

Magnus raised an eyebrow curiously. "For what?"

The Shadowhunter sputtered. "For saving my life!"

The warlock smirked. "I didn't do that for free. You owe me a date."

Alec flushed darkly. "A date?"

"Yep. And you better make it a memorable one." Magnus folded his arms over his chest and jutted his hip out to the side. "I have high expectations when it comes to you."

Alec just _stared_ at the warlock before he gulped, loudly.

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Had Valentine believed that her mother had nothing to do with what had happened? Had he somehow found out and was punishing her? Punishing the woman who, with her rune, would gladly burn herself alive if he wanted her to?

Chloe hugged her pillow tighter and cried.

This was all her fault.

She was a coward.

She should never have left!

Or she should've forced her mother to come with them-they could've found a way to get rid of that rune! To save her!

The door unlocked itself, no doubt with the help of a stele, and opened before closing softly, the lock returning.

Chloe closed her eyes tightly.

There were soft footsteps that padded towards the bed behind her, and then she felt it dip under weight as Jace's arm went around her, pulling her back into his chest as he curled around her. He didn't speak, didn't try to say anything comforting, merely held her as he lay behind her on the bed, his warmth enveloping her.

She didn't get how he knew, how he understood that she didn't want to talk, didn't want to hear any consoling platitudes-that even though she'd locked herself away all she'd really wanted was someone to hold her.

Jace tightened his grip on her and buried his face in her hair, and that was when she felt the dampness and realized she wasn't the only one who was miserable, the only one who'd left a parent behind, and despite the fact that Valentine was a monster he was Jace's father and the boy loved him.

Chloe's hands went to the one Jace had around her and she gripped him just as tightly as he gripped her, letting him know silently that she understood, that she was there for him too.

He trembled slightly before burying his face harder into her hair, as if trying to hide from the situation they now found themselves in.

The girl brought his hand up to her lips and pressed a soft kiss to it before she returned it to her stomach, and closed her eyes tightly against the world, leaving only her and Jace in warm darkness. She was scared, confused, guilty for having betrayed her only living parent, but she wasn't the only one who felt that way. Jace understood her feelings all too well, and she'd been wrong to lock him out like she had.

They stayed in bed like that, the two of them holding onto each other, and for the first time since they'd gotten back Chloe felt like it might be alright. They were together, and Lois was safe. That was all that mattered right now. Sure Valentine had the Cup. Sure her mother was still with him, but Chloe had to believe that Moira had managed to fool Valentine yet again, the woman was cunning and good at it. Chloe had to have faith, couldn't give up hope, not for her mother's sake.

Jace's trembling calmed as he drew closer, molded against her.

A tender smile touched her lips as she slowly turned in his arms to face him, gazing up into his pale and conflicted face.

Jace stared at her before he leaned down to rest his forehead against hers while he drew her closer to him.

Chloe closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, her hand going to his heartbeat, finding it so amazingly calming that she brought his hand to rest over _hers_.

Jace moved to press a kiss to her forehead before he rested his own against it again.

His words from the other night echoed around her like a blanket: ' _You were born ... to be_ _ **mine**_ _._ '

In moments like these, in which he was a guiding light in her darkness, she could so easily believe those words.

Chloe curled into him, shifting and arranging herself so she rested with her cheek against his heartbeat, Jace's arms enclosing her, filling her with such bone-tingling warmth she couldn't help but let out a sigh of contentment as he rested his cheek against the crown of her head. Her arms wrapped around him as well, their legs entangling until she wasn't exactly sure where she ended and he began.

She stayed like that for a while, feeling Jace's body slowly relaxing until she could finally hear his breathing change, the boy having fallen asleep. She smiled softly to herself and rubbed her cheek against his heartbeat before letting out a little yawn, tiredness descending on her as well.

There was a lot still ahead of them, so much they'd have to face, but as she lay there, slowly drifting off to sleep, Chloe knew without a certainty that if Jace and her were together they'd get through whatever was thrown at them. And there was no way she'd be doing this alone, even if she wanted to, because Jace would just become his stalkery self and wear her down eventually like he always did.

A little chuckle escaped her lips at the thought, and she fell asleep with a smile on her face, safe within the arms of the boy she loved.


End file.
